The Deliverance of Garrus Vakarian
by QuantumSheep
Summary: Garrus starts having a bad month. It starts off innocently enough, but when he falls in with a rogue Cerberus agent the turian is dragged into a web of conspiracy, with indications that a higher power is manipulating events from behind the scenes.
1. Risks and Gains

**Part I: A Colonel's Quiet Retirement  
**_  
Just a castaway,  
__On an island lost at sea,  
__Another lonely day,  
__No one here but me…  
_-- From the song "Message in a Bottle", by The Police

* * *

**Chapter I: Risks and Gains**

"Shepard…"

Garrus Vakarian suddenly felt quite uneasy. This was primarily because of the second-thoughts he was beginning to have about what he was planning on discussing. Maybe "discuss" was not the right term…Maybe "tell" was, since he figured that Shepard would not be saying much. It would be him doing most of the talking, and even then he was at a loss on what to say.

The past few weeks had been hectic, to say the least. They had gone to Therum, Feros, Noveria, Virmire…They had gone to plenty of worlds in between, most barren planets with only slight points of interest. They had taken on Geth, Asari Commandoes, mercenaries and even a few Cerberus commandoes. And in Garrus' perception, there was one constant in all of this: The part they had to play in tracking down Saren, in thwarting his scheme and stopping this _Sovereign_ being. There was also Commander Kate Shepard, the young human soldier who was in charge of this whole thing. She had willingly let Garrus on board the _Normandy_ to become a part of the group, to help track down Saren and stop him. And she had shown Garrus how to get things done: The mission had to be completed, no matter what the cost, even if it meant innocents would have to die. Garrus had always thought along these lines but to see someone like Shepard think the same thing…well, Garrus could only like that in her. She was certainly something, a woman who took no-nonsense from anybody, a woman who was not afraid to get her hands dirty if the situation called for it. Garrus would be reassigning himself for Spectre training once this was all over but there was part of him that wanted to stay on board the _Normandy_, to stay with Shepard and the crew and go about the galaxy bringing justice to those that required it.

They had tracked down Dr. Saleon a week or so ago. Garrus had killed him in what was perhaps the most satisfying death he had caused. The bastard did not deserve to live and Shepard…she had agreed. When Garrus had first met her, back on the Citadel he had thought she might have disagreed with his beliefs in getting the job done no matter what. Instead, she thought along the same lines and she reinforced Garrus' own beliefs as a result. Garrus liked her for that and, if he was not mistaken, there was something else, an underlying feeling he had for her. He could have just been foolish thinking like this: she was human, he was turian. It could never work, could it?

The corridors of the _Normandy_ were quiet, save for the faint background hum of the engines. The lights were dimmed to give the illusion of night time. The night crews, consisting of only a few bored technicians, were seated up on the bridge milling over control panels and ensuring the ship was running smoothly. Most people had retreated to their sleeping pods. Some of the more important crew members had their own quarters…Garrus had taken the quarters of Ashley Williams, since she had died on Virmire. She had been distrustful of other species and Garrus had never really paid much attention to her. Her death might have affected Shepard and some of the others, but to Garrus he cared little about it. Besides, he got her quarters…It certainly beat sleeping in a pod every night.

They were heading to Ilos, a planet that was covered with ancient Prothean ruins. Saren was heading there as well to find something called the "Conduit". Details were vague but Garrus was certain that things would become clearer once they were on Ilos. It would be several hours before they reached the planet, giving the crew a chance to rest up. Garrus had decided to gather up all of his courage and confront Shepard in her quarters. It was an ideal opportunity to tell her how he felt about her.

It was unlike him to feel so nervous, but these were unique circumstances. He was even having trouble fathoming it himself…Seriously, could he really feel this way about a human? It was not unheard of but it certainly was not common: Turians and humans were an unlikely pairing and Garrus had never thought that he might end up in such a pairing. At least, he had never thought so until recently. Even then he was afraid of what Shepard might say: Would she accept what he says or would she be repulsed, perhaps so much so it might destroy their friendship? The most likely occurrence was that she would simply tell him that they can still be friends…Fraternization was disallowed in the military, both human and turian ones. He was breaking the rules and his father would not be pleased. Then again, his father was on Palaven enjoying a quiet retirement. Who would know? Only him and Shepard, maybe the rest of the crew…not that they would do anything about it. That was assuming things would go well between the two of them. Chances are it would not. He was thinking too far ahead of himself. He decided to quit all of the second-guessing: he was here now and there was no use pondering what might and might not happen. If this were a combat situation he would have no qualms about marching right in and shooting the place up…he enjoyed that sort of thing. However, when it came to the opposite sex he hesitated and a fear he had not felt for years struck him down and near paralysed him. He had had experiences with a few women in the past, all turian. All of those relationships had ended one way or another for whatever reason. He remembered his last one that had lasted for about six months…she had been in C-Sec, as he had. Again that was fraternization and it was breaking the rules. Garrus was not afraid to break the rules, especially when this particular turian female had seemed the perfect one for him. How it had ended was still unknown to him, it had simply dissipated and he had never seen that girl again. Maybe she had found someone else? If she had, such an occurrence did not help Garrus with his self-esteem. There had been that recent fling with that female he had had a sparring match with, as brief as it was.

Sure, he was quite confident about himself and his place in society but when it came to females…well, he could be at a bit of a loss on what to do or say. However, he was more fearful about Shepard because, well…she was human.

That was why he was standing outside of Kate Shepard's quarters, trying to work out what he would say. There was no one else in the corridor and there was the distant sound of someone snoring…a man, who exactly was impossible to determine. It was not too late in the "night" (such a term could only be loosely applied to the downtime on a star-ship) and Shepard would still be up, working on her reports and such. She would probably be up until quite late, seeing as she was the Commander and had more work to do than anyone else on the ship.

"Shepard…There's something I have to tell you…" He whispered, shaking his head when he realized that it sounded pretty lame. What would he say? That he liked her? Liked her more than a friend? And how would she respond?

_Garrus, you idiot._

Maybe he would be best to simply retreat to his quarters and just forget about this whole endeavour. He was making a mistake…a big one at that. There was a part of him that just wanted to get on with it, quit all of these second thoughts and just go inside and tell Shepard what he wanted to say. What did he want to say? Damn, he didn't know. What was he doing here again? Talking to itself, it seemed. He was standing in the corridor, talking to himself like some sort of delusional madman. The door to her quarters was right in front of him, yet he could barely sum up the courage to step inside and confront the Commander.

"I think…I think I like you Shepard. If you were turian…"

_"If you were turian…" That sounds so lame. I feel like such an idiot._

He had to go in, yet he would not at the same time. It was a dilemma, worse than any of the ones he had found himself in before. He could handle himself in a fight, but again when it came to the opposite sex, he had no idea. None at all.

He heard voices somewhere further down the corridor, coming from the mess hall. A brief bout of laughter followed. Well, it seemed that there were other people actually having fun. Yet here he was, standing outside Commander Shepard's quarters, muttering to himself and frustrated at himself for being unable to go inside. There had to be something he could say that did not sound so lame and forced.

There was the option of simply strolling inside and improvising. He had never been one for rehearsed speeches anyway since he had never really had to give any, at least not for several years. Public speaking was not something he enjoyed.

He would go inside. Yes, he had decided: No more of this useless rehearsing or dawdling out in the corridor. He would go inside, say whatever came to mind and see what Shepard had to say. So what if she didn't like it? It would hurt, sure but Garrus would get over it just as he had gotten over previous rejections. Life was tough, he knew this better than anyone.

He was about to activate the panel on the door, about to walk in and say what he wanted to say…but again he hesitated. Instead, he sighed and angrily slapped the doorway but not hard enough for anyone else to hear. The last thing he needed was for Shepard to come out and see him standing outside her quarters, not doing anything except feeling sorry for himself. They had done so much together, taken on overwhelming odds together…They had killed geth, mercenaries…This was the next step. Garrus liked her, there was no denying it. He had to do this, otherwise it would be gnawing away at his mind for the rest of his life. He could not live with himself for not doing it. Then again, he was not entirely sure just what he would be doing. Confessing his love for Shepard? It was crazy. She would never buy it. He was turian, she was human…There was a difference.

_Enough of this…I'm doing it._

With some slight hesitation he activated the glowing green panel by the door. It slid open, revealing the coolly lit sleeping quarters behind. They were the Commander's, thus they were appropriately spacious and bigger than any other living quarters on the ship. In one corner was the bed, in another was the desk and computer of Commander Shepard. She was seated at the desk, milling over a recently completed report. Chances are she would be in a lot of trouble…they would all be in a lot of trouble because of their escape from the Citadel. The ship had been in lockdown after all, denying them the chance to leave and pursue Saren. Captain Anderson had aided in their escape but they would all be in a lot of trouble if C-Sec ever found them. That was why the plan was to get rid of Saren before that happened, although knowing Shepard there was a chance that she had no plan.

Katelyn Shepard was dressed in the standard blue uniform for the Alliance Navy. Her hair was auburn and wavy, well-maintained and definitely silky smooth just by the look of it. Her eyes were a matching brown colour and she bore a slight scar that put a small gap through one eyebrow. She probably had a few more scars elsewhere, especially from what she did on Torfan years before. It was a messy business what had happened on that planet but Shepard, as is to be expected, got the job done.

Garrus stepped in, taking it slow. The door slid shut behind him, providing a rather unwelcome barrier to the rest of the ship. Now there was no chance of anyone overhearing them.

Shepard swivelled around in her seat and looked towards him, raising one eyebrow slightly. Garrus found himself looking into her eyes, realizing that maybe he was gazing at her a bit too deeply. He shifted his vision away from her slightly, looking at a spot on her desk instead. Shepard seemed to sense his apprehension and simply smirked, as if she found it amusing. Knowing her, she probably did find it amusing.

"Garrus," she said, "What do you want?"

"Me? Oh, uh…Nothing much…" Garrus swallowed. He realized then and there that he had no idea what he was doing in here…it was as if his mind had gone completely blank and now he was standing in here, completely purposeless.

_Nothing much? Oh, you idiot Garrus. Why the hell are you in here for then?_

"You look like there's something on your mind," Shepard said. She stood up and Garrus watched her, trying to work out what she was thinking. He was also trying to work out what he would say.

"You want to talk about it?" She asked.

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever's on your mind."

"On my mind?" Garrus shrugged. Rather than get straight to what he was here for, maybe he could change topics a little…He had plenty of time, after all.

"If there's one thing that's on my mind, it's getting Saren," Garrus said, "We've been chasing that bastard for weeks. The only thing we have to show for it is just bad news…I mean, these 'Reapers', what the hell are they really? And when we finally did confront Saren, he escaped. We should have gotten him on Virmire…"

Shepard shrugged. She didn't seem so concerned about it and Garrus had a feeling that he was probably coming off as a bit forced. He knew that he was just stalling, just rambling on about nothing in particular…but what else could he do?

"We'll find out more about the Reapers, I'm sure of it," Shepard replied, "And Saren…We'll get him. There's no doubt. Missing out on finishing him on Virmire is nothing. He'll get what's coming to him."

"I hope so," Garrus said, "Otherwise this whole thing would have been a big waste of time."

"I don't waste time," Shepard said.

"I know."

There was a pause then, leaving nothing but silence in the room. Garrus looked into her eyes again, taking note of that fiery spark each contained. Shepard did have a bit of a temper, one that could flare without warning. This was one thing Garrus did really like about her: her temper. He could be much the same and as such he could see a part of himself in her. They agreed on so many things, especially when it came to getting the job done…no matter what the cost.

"You didn't come in to talk about Saren, did you?" Shepard asked, a slight frown crumpling her features, "Because I'm getting sick of that guy."

"Uh…So am I," Garrus said quickly, "So am I…"

"Quit being such a kiss-ass and tell me what you're doing in here," Shepard said bluntly. She was smiling at the same time, so she wasn't being entirely serious about it. Garrus was taken off-guard at first but when she saw her smile he was able to compose himself.

"I came in because…" Garrus trailed off. What would he say? He had absolutely no clue on what he would say. Shouldn't this sort of thing come naturally?

"Because?" Shepard raised an eyebrow expectantly. Garrus took a moment to answer.

"Because I like you, Shepard," Garrus said. Immediately he regretted saying it, primarily because of the lengthy silence that followed. Shepard didn't look fazed at all, then again she never seemed to get fazed by anything.

"You like me?" Shepard asked, "I like you. You're a good man…turian…whatever you want to call yourself. We've been through a lot together. Why wouldn't I like you?"

Garrus felt relieved for a moment, until it occurred to him that Shepard had completely misinterpreted what he had just said. He wasn't surprised about this, so rather uncertainly he decided to elaborate on it a little more.

"We're friends, I understand that," Garrus said, "But what I mean to say is…I like you…I don't know how to say it, but I think I like you more than as a mere friend. Much more."

Shepard took a moment or two to reply. She looked at Garrus carefully, taking in his rather serious gaze just to make sure that he wasn't joking. He certainly wasn't and the last thing he wanted was for this to be taken as some kind of joke.

"Are you saying you love me, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"You…could say that," Garrus said carefully. Love a human? It wasn't impossible, far from it. But would Shepard actually accept it?

"Uh…I don't know what to say," Shepard said, "Honestly, Garrus, I wasn't expecting this."

How was she reacting? She seemed unsure, lost, confused…Garrus took a step towards her. She didn't retreat but she didn't come forwards either.

"I have to admit, you and I do have a lot in common," Shepard said, "But seriously, Garrus, it just doesn't feel right…You and I…"

"If you feel that way I'll get over it," Garrus said, his voice laced with some disappointment, "I'll leave if you want me to." He swallowed: it was to be expected. Shepard didn't seem the accessible type: she didn't seem the type who would bother with close relationships. In fact, she did seem a bit "inaccessible": all stone-hard and ruthless.

"No, don't go Garrus," Shepard said, her tone lightening a bit as if she had had a sudden realization, "I like you too. It's just that…well, this is all a bit sudden…Don't get me wrong, you're important to me. I just need some time to think."  
"Really, if you don't want me here, I'll go," Garrus said anxiously, "It's getting late anyway."

Shepard took a step towards him. Garrus felt his heartbeat increase a little and his eyes went to hers again. He was almost lost in them, barely paying attention to the way she came close to him and put an arm to his side.

"Maybe if you were turian…" Garrus began, spouting off a line he had previously decided against saying. He was no longer thinking clearly now, unable to do little else but look into Shepard's eyes. "This could have worked out differently…"

There was another pause. Shepard just looked up at him, put a hand to the side of his face and felt along the hard scaly plating there. Her gaze was uncharacteristically gentle, hinting at a somewhat softer side to the otherwise stern and inaccessible Commander Shepard.

If she had been turian, Garrus would have had no hesitations in confronting her like this. Because she was human, the situation's complexities increased somewhat. Now that she was caressing his face while he looked into her eyes…well, it was a good sign that things were going well. They were going far better than he could have imagined.

He exited his reverie and put an arm around her. He brought her close, felt her slender frame against his. He couldn't feel the heat of it through his armour, but he longed to feel it, to be free of the burdening armour suit he so often wore.

"Who said I had to be turian?" Shepard asked. She was smiling now and Garrus tried to return the favour. Turians couldn't smile like humans, making them a species that was harder to read than most. Garrus' heart was racing and all sorts of thoughts were running through his mind…primarily there was the notion that maybe he was making a mistake. Was he? Would tonight simply complicate matters further? They still had to take on Saren and save the galaxy, two things that were far from being small matters. Would inciting a relationship with Shepard make these two things harder to accomplish? There was a reason why fraternization was disallowed in the military: close relationships could impede the judgement of those involved and as such their performance in a combat situation could falter. Then again, Garrus didn't think much of this: he was confident of himself and his own abilities and that getting involved with Commander Shepard would not prove to be a mistake. Shepard was probably thinking the same thing.

Their eyes met once more: Shepard leaned forwards and brought her face close to his. Her lips went to his mouth and pressed onto the hard scaly skin there. Her tongue found its way into his mouth and felt along the slick walls within. Garrus forgot about all of his doubts then and there: All that mattered now was the woman in his embrace and what they would do.

He wrapped both of his arms around her, putting a hand to her waist and feeling along her back, taking in every curvature of her body. He broke from the kiss and put his mouth to her neck, gently nipping the skin with his mouth. Turians didn't possess lips like a human so he had to make do with delivering his own interpretation of human "kisses". Shepard didn't complain, in fact the subdued moan she emitted implied that she was enjoying it.

He could feel her hands tracing along the back of his armour. One of them found the release mechanism for the suit and with a faint hiss the back of the suit opened. Garrus took a step back, noticing that Shepard was wearing a rather expectant look on her face. He wriggled out of the upper torso of the armour suit, letting the bulky outfit clunk onto the floor. Garrus hastily released himself from the lower parts of the armour, letting it drop to the floor. Underneath he wore a flexible black under-suit and once he was down to this Shepard stepped forwards, finding a zip on the front and pulling it down. Underneath was tough and scaly grey and blue skin, his shoulders carefully tattooed with the dark blue markings that all turians with lineages like his had. Shepard looked at them and put a hand to one shoulder, using one finger to trace along the intricate dark blue designs.

"Nice," she said simply. Whatever slight embarrassment Garrus might have felt was gone now, especially when he saw the hunger in Shepard's eyes. She wanted him and she would not take no for an answer.

Shepard took a few paces back, going against the side of the bed. Garrus stepped forwards, his hands going to her shirt. He grabbed it from the bottom and lifted it, pulling it up and past her head. Once it was off he tossed it onto the floor. Shepard leaned back and fell onto the bed while Garrus leaned in after her, his hands going for the belt at the waist of her trousers. He fiddled with it for a moment, grew frustrated and gave up. Shepard easily unbuckled the belt and Garrus, without hesitation, simply pulled the trousers off of her legs. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks. The pair were now in their undergarments and Garrus had an intention to rectify this immediately.

He put an arm around her, leaning forwards and putting his mouth to hers. Once again her tongue found its way into his mouth before she broke from the kiss and moved her lips slightly downward, suckling on one of his mandibles. Garrus forgot about everything else and let his impulses and instincts take over, emitting a low growl as the fire in his loins began to build.

With one taloned hand he slipped it into the strap of Shepard's underwear and pulled, breaking the flimsy apparel. He threw it aside and Shepard simply laughed, giving him an amused look.

"You're lucky I have more pairs of those…" She said. Garrus did not respond and instead went to work at the clasp of her bra, quickly growing tired of fiddling with the flimsy mechanism. He used one talon to break it as well, pulling away the bra and leaving Shepard naked under him.

Shepard found the zip at the under-suit that still covered his lower half and pulled it away. Garrus brought his scaly bulk against her slenderer frame, feeling the heat of her body against his. He curled his body protectively over her own. He licked down her neck, tasting the sweat that had begun to form there. It was almost like a drug, one that Garrus took in more of, tasting down her neck and across one shoulder. He put his head between her breasts and growled, hearing Shepard moan beneath him. She seemed so much softer than he was, completely unlike a turian female. And her flexibility…it was quite amazing. No turian female could put her legs around him like Shepard was doing now.

The longing ache in his loins reached a crescendo. Garrus bucked impulsively and Shepard arched beneath him, shouting at the new sensation. Shepard seemed to smile up at him and immediately any remaining uncertainties in Garrus had gone. The turian held her down with one hand at her stomach as he thrust forwards, forcing his scaly hide against her, feeling her writhing movements beneath him. Shepard called his name but he did not pay much attention, instead his concentration was entirely set on what he was doing. Everything else was a mere blur. He leaned forwards, feeling her breasts press against his chest. He caught a whiff of some sort of perfume or some other sort of product that Shepard had on: it was sweet, with something musty underneath. Garrus growled again, forgetting civility and letting his instincts take over.

Garrus bucked autonomously, growling as he did so. Sweat ran off of his skin and he could feel Shepard's sweat slicked skin slip and slide against his. It had suddenly gotten hot, very hot. Sweat dripped off of Garrus' frame with each exertion. An ache crept up his spine and to his shoulders, one that only eased with each thrust he delivered against the Commander's arching form. He used one hand to grab one of her legs, feeling down it seductively. Minutes passed, the pace slowed and Garrus, short of breath, finally removed himself from her. Shepard remained lying in place, as out of breath as he was.

It took a moment for Garrus to regain his original thoughts. The doubts in his mind, the ones to do with confronting Shepard about the way he felt about her and about navigating their different physiologies: Those had gone, dissipated like a plasma trail in the vacuum of space. Shepard had felt the same way about him and in a way they made the perfect couple: they were both willing to get the job done, no matter what. They weren't afraid to take risks. Garrus should never have doubted himself, especially when it came to Shepard. And to think that what they were doing was wrong…it was not wrong and Garrus knew this as soon as he had felt her skin against his. To him, it felt so _right_.

The Commander eyed him from where she lay, a slight smile forming at her lips. Garrus let go of her, letting her relax as he rolled off of her and lay down in the bed beside her. The air around them was thick with the smell of their sweat and their fluids. Garrus stared at the ceiling for a moment, feeling Shepard shift next to him. She put a hand to his chest, feeling along the scaly skin there. Garrus felt some guilt at the scratches she bore on her sides, caused by his talons and overzealous actions. Shepard did not seem too concerned about them, though.

"I take it you enjoyed that?" Garrus asked. It had certainly been a new experience for him: never again could he look at Shepard the same way. Never again could he look at a turian female the same way, realizing that turian females lacked a certain something that humans had…perhaps it was a human woman's flexibility? Or perhaps a human's soft, pliant skin? Either way, sex with a turian woman would pale in comparison to doing it with Shepard.

"You were an animal," Shepard said, her voice laced with a playful tone. Garrus gave the turian equivalent of a smile when he heard this. Then again, it had not been the first time he had heard it.

"I…I don't want this to get in the way of…uh…what we're set on doing," Garrus said, feeling some uneasiness form within, "To do with Saren, Ilos…I don't want us to get distracted."

Shepard wrapped both arms around him as she lay on her side.

"Don't worry," she said, her face mere centimetres from his own, "We'll scrape through. We'll be there for each other and the two of us…well, we could probably take on a whole army."  
Garrus smiled. She was right about that last point.

* * *

When Garrus finally did wake up, Shepard was fast asleep on his chest. Glancing at the computer on the wall, he saw that it was late morning and definitely past his usual time to have breakfast. He rubbed his eyes and figured that he ought to get moving, otherwise the others might start to miss him and Shepard. The last thing he needed was for everyone on the ship to know what was going on between him and the Commander.

His slight movements in his waking state were enough to awake the Commander. She opened her eyes and rolled off of him, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looking at the time as well. She sat up and turned to look at Garrus, still looking like she was not entirely awake.

"I think you and I should actually get moving," Shepard said, yawning as she spoke, "Otherwise people might start wondering where we are."

"I suppose we should," Garrus said, although he would have preferred to stay in bed…Shepard's bed, to be more exact. He knew they had a job to do: They were going to Ilos for what could very well be the final confrontation with Saren. But when you had fallen in love with someone even the fate of the galaxy could wait a while.

The relative silence of the room was broken by the sound Jeff "Joker" Moreau's voice. He was the skilled pilot of the _Normandy_ and he had a habit of interrupting at the most inopportune times. He could communicate via the ship's systems with anyone on the ship at anytime but thankfully he couldn't see them. If that happened Garrus would be downright embarrassed.

"_Commander? Are you there? Are you even awake yet?"_

Shepard slid off of the bed and picked up her undergarments from the floor, only to find that they were broken thanks to Garrus' attempts to remove them the night before. She sighed and shot a slightly irritated glance towards Garrus. The turian simply shrugged in response.

"_Commander, now isn't the time to be sleeping in…"_

"I'm here, Joker," Shepard replied, "What is it?"

_"Finally,"_ Joker said. There was the sound of a sigh over the comm. Systems. Garrus remained lying on the bed, taking a moment to pick at one of his talons.

"_We're coming up on the Mu relay now, Commander. You might want to, you know, get out of bed?"_

"I'm on my way, Joker," Shepard said. She looked at Garrus again. "You want to be part of the team to go down to Ilos?"

Garrus nodded. He certainly was not going to give up his one chance at getting Saren, not after all he and Shepard had been through just to get this far.

"You bet."

_"Uh, Commander…if you don't mind me asking, why is Garrus with you in your quarters?"_

Garrus frowned and Shepard just shook her head. She looked a little annoyed at Joker's privacy intrusion since he had obviously been listening in. There was no real way of knowing if he was listening in or not at anytime. On a ship like the _Normandy_, privacy was somewhat hard to come by.

"How about you quit eavesdropping and get on with what you're being paid to do?" Garrus said, some annoyance creeping into his voice, "You know, piloting the ship?"

"_Well, since you're there Garrus, I may as well tell you about the private message we received via subspace. It's addressed to you."_

Garrus was somewhat confused when he heard this. A private subspace message…for one, sending that kind of message was awfully expensive. For another, who would be sending him a message? His father? Maybe even his younger brother?

"Leave it alone, Joker," Garrus said, "I'll read it when we're finished up on Ilos."

"_Whatever you want."_

With that, Joker closed the channel. Garrus sighed and looked towards Shepard, trying to work out what this could all mean. A message for him? It must have been important, coming through subspace.

"He's going to open the message, isn't he?" Garrus asked. Shepard nodded.

"Joker's the inquisitive type," she said, "Besides, what could it be about?"

Garrus shook his head.

"No idea," he replied, "I just hope it isn't anything urgent since it's going to have to wait until we're back from Ilos." He paused for a moment, realizing something rather important at that instant.

"He's going to tell everyone on this ship about us, isn't he?" Garrus asked, "He knows we were together in your quarters…"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Shepard said, "Besides, it's not like he has any solid evidence. You and I could have just been talking."

"No one will buy that," Garrus said, "They'll all just jump to conclusions. Especially Joker."

Shepard shrugged. She didn't seem too concerned by it. She never seemed to be concerned by much.

Garrus could only nod his head, even though he did not like the thought of his involvement with Shepard becoming ship-wide knowledge. However, he did have other things to worry about like what would happen on Ilos. In the next few minutes he climbed out of the bed and started to dress himself and prepare himself for whatever awaited down on Ilos. At the back of his mind was the feeling he had about this "private message" and what it might be about. Something told him that it was not good news.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I began writing this story before I purchased _Mass Effect 2_, but thankfully the events of this story do not really contradict what happens in the sequel…I think, save for the obvious Shepard/Garrus stuff. The back-story prior to this chapter would contain some significant development between the two characters, including Garrus walking in on that three-way confrontation between Shepard, Kaidan and Liara with the intention of talking to her in private but instead becoming part of the confrontation.

Anyway, I wrote this story as a very "loose" sequel to _Loving the Alien_, which was my previous Mass Effect story. You don't need to have read that before reading this, as I only reference it in the first few chapters and I "ret-con" a hell of a lot of what happens in it (in other words, I more or less make a lot of things that happened in that story obsolete). This new story is more or less standalone, but could also work as a sequel to _Loving the Alien_. Sure, Shepard can't "get it on" with Garrus in the first game but he would make a far more interesting love interest than the two available.


	2. Bad News

**Chapter II: Bad News**

The clinic, one of the few that had survived Saren's attack on the Citadel, was populated by a large number of civilians of differing species, all with wounds or looking for loved ones or both. The attack on the Citadel had shaken galactic society to the very core since nothing of its kind had ever happened before. That there would be a few changes in government was an understatement…especially after what had happened to the Council.

Garrus Vakarian was proud to say that he had been a part of the fight, perhaps part of the most important aspect of it all: he had been there with Commander Shepard when they had confronted Saren. He had personally delivered a bullet to Saren's head after the lunatic had committed suicide, only for Sovereign to play one final trick: It had resurrected Saren into some sort of synthetic beast, one that had wounded Garrus somewhat. The turian had a few burns as a result of that encounter but those were only minor injuries, nothing that he needed to be in a clinic for. He was simply stuck sitting in a bed with a fractured left leg, an injury he had sustained after Sovereign had been destroyed by the human Alliance fleet. Pieces of the synthetic monstrosity had crashed into the Council chambers and Garrus had almost ended up crushed as a result. His left leg had took the brunt of what had happened. It was stretched out before him, with a few bandages around where the bone has broke the skin. It had been set back into place several hours ago and Garrus had been significantly doped up to not have felt anything. Now that the haze the painkilling drugs had brought him was beginning to clear up he figured he might be able to think straight.

The galaxy was safe…for now, anyway. Strangely enough he did not feel so content with this, as if taking on Saren had not solved the problem of the Reapers. It had not and the Reapers were still out there, waiting in the darkness outside of the galaxy. What bothered him most was what he would do now: he had told Shepard he would try and get reassigned to Spectre training, but could he honestly leave her now? He was enjoying this dangerous life all too much. He certainly was not about to rejoin C-Sec and he had made this clear to her during one of their many conversations. Would he stay with Shepard and the crew of the _Normandy_? It was certainly a viable option and he was considering it, if only because he would be able to stay with Shepard. It had been a fairly long time since he had loved anyone like he now did towards Shepard: It was something he could not leave behind. Not after all that had happened, including the night they had spent together before arriving on Ilos.

Garrus sat up in the bed, aware of the sounds of many different voices outside in the corridor. Every medical facility on the Citadel was packed with the wounded and worried. Garrus had asked to be sent to the infirmary on board the _Normandy_ but this request had either been forgotten about or ignored, leaving him in the clinic with little attention since all of the doctors and nurses were tied up taking care of cases more severe than his own. Shepard was busy getting patched up in a room a few doors down the corridor and from what he had seen, she had been a bit roughened up as well. There had been a moment in the Council chambers, after Sovereign had been destroyed that Garrus had thought that Shepard had been dead: His heart had skipped a beat and a defeatist attitude immediately fell upon him. When he had seen her emerging from the rubble he had felt the greatest wave of relief wash over him, more so than any other time in his life. Indeed, it was safe to say he loved her.

After all that had happened, there was something else that bugged him: Joker had mentioned a private message, one intended for the turian that had arrived while they had been en route to Ilos. Garrus had decided to read it after the business on Ilos had been finished up…and it had been, except it had not finished on Ilos but here on the Citadel. With a slight effort he leaned to the bedside table, managing a glance across the room at the other bed. There was an elderly human male fast asleep on the other bed, snoring loudly. He had some bandages around his head and right arm, hinting at some sort of blast injury. Geth weapons had created most of the casualties during the attack on the Citadel.

Garrus gripped the communicator lying on the table, one that enabled him to talk with the people on the _Normandy_. It was about time he figured out just what was in the message intended for him, whether it was something he should be concerned about or not. He switched on the communicator and spoke into it:

"Joker, are you there?" Garrus asked, "It's Garrus…"

Joker's usually upbeat voice broke through the speaker, sounding somewhat sarcastic.

"_Garrus? Can't say I've heard of him…"_

Garrus sighed. Sometimes he found certain humans near impossible to deal with.

"Quit joking around…Joker…" Garrus frowned as he said this, pausing for a moment before continuing, "That private message, the one you've probably taken a look at already, could you forward it to my room here in the clinic?"

There was a long pause on Joker's end. Garrus would not be surprised if Joker had gone through the contents of the message, whether they be video or audio or just plain text-based. Joker's voice came back abut half a minute later.

"_It's done,"_ he replied, _"Something tells me you might not like what's on it."_

"So you have read it?"

"_I'm the ship's pilot. It's my job to invade the privacy of the ship's crew members."_ Joker did not laugh at his own joke. In fact, it seemed he rarely laughed: instead he had a deadpan source of humour, one that Garrus often found annoying…like now.

Garrus simply shook his, glancing over at the extranet terminal on the wall. Something had lit up on the displays, indicating that the message had come through. Garrus returned his attention towards the communicator.

"I'll see you later, Joker," Garrus said abruptly and closed the channel without giving the pilot a chance to response. The turian sat back against the head of the bed, looked towards the terminal for a moment and considered getting up. Such an act would have been no trouble to him…this time around though, his left leg was barely able to hold up his weight. There was a pair of crutches leaning against the side of his bed but he was yet to get a genuine grasp on how to move around smoothly with them.

At that moment a doctor walked in, omni-tool over one arm and tired looking features upon his face. It was likely this doctor, like all of the others in the clinic, had not gotten any sleep ever since the attack. There were always more patients being brought in and more beds having to be set up until some rooms were simply packed full of wounded. This doctor was human and he looked to be about middle-aged, with greying hair and blue eyes. He stopped by the foot of Garrus' bed, looked towards the turian and frowned.

"Garrus Vakarian?" He inquired, briefly glancing at the readouts on the omni-tool.

"Yeah, that's me…"

"I'm Doctor Winston," The doctor said, yawning briefly, "I'm the doctor assigned to you during your stay in this clinic. I also happen to be assigned to about sixty other patients, all of them here in this clinic right now. As you can imagine, I can barely keep up with them all…"

"I suppose my injuries are minor compared to what's happened to some of the other patients?" Garrus asked. Simply looking out into the corridor was enough to verify this: there were a few beds set up in the corridor, with moaning wounded people of varying species sprawled across them and hooked up to medical machinery. To Garrus' left there was another bed, one that was partially blocked from view by a curtain. As Dr. Winston spoke the sound of a life readout machine backgrounded the man's voice as the heart of the bloodied turian lying on the bed ceased beating.

Winston pretended not to hear what was going on in that part of the room, keeping his gaze fixed on Garrus while occasionally glancing at his omni-tool. A few specialists ran into the room and disappeared behind the curtain. Garrus caught sight of dark blue turian blood oozing onto the bed covers, moments before one of the specialists fully closed the curtain.

"I have to devote time to all the patients I've been given," Dr. Winston said. Garrus turned to look at the doctor, slightly unnerved by the fact that an innocent turian was dying in the same room. Sure, he had killed plenty of people of differing races…but there was something about hospitals that unnerved him. Maybe it was because they were places where one expected to hear bad news.

"According to the information I've been given, you're suffering from several burns, a slight concussion and a fractured left leg. The burns have been treated, the concussion should have gone by now and your left leg should have been set back into place. Am I correct?" Winston leaned forwards slightly. Garrus just nodded in response to all of this, giving Dr. Winston reason to continue.

"The leg is the worst of your injuries, since it was a compound fracture. With the wonders of medical technology nowadays it shouldn't take too long to heal, I just wouldn't walk on until after the first batch of regenerative agents have been injected. That's why I'm here now: Injections."

"Injections?" Garrus had been expecting as much. Using a simply syringe on a turian's hardened scaly skin was a tad troublesome, hence why some extra measures had to be carried out in order to break the skin. Winston stepped over to a trolley over by the door, wheeling it over and picking up what was unofficially known as a "hole-puncher": A high powered syringe device capable of putting a minute hole through a turian's outer shell, delivering the injection at the same time.

"Yes, Garrus, injections," Winston replied absently. He took a vial of a yellowish liquid and loaded it into the "syringe gun" or "injector" before taking a moment to ensure that it was securely placed and ready to work. He pushed aside the bed-sheet slightly in order to reveal Garrus' left leg. Without much thought he pressed the end of the syringe gun against the knee, where the bone had originally broken through the skin.

"This will sting for a moment," Winston said abruptly. He pulled the trigger, there was a faint hiss and a stinging pain erupted in Garrus' leg. The turian emitted a low groan, now able to feel as the regenerative agents began to work on repairing the bone.

Winston seemed to find Garrus' discomfort amusing. The turian shot him a narrowed gaze.

"Do you enjoy doing that?" Garrus asked, his features creased with annoyance.

"I'm a doctor," Winston replied whilst grinning as he put away the emptied injector, "It's my job."

There was a brief silence between the two. The specialists at the bed on Garrus' left began to wheel it out, the patient lying upon it covered up with the sheets. Dark blue blood had begun to stain part of them. Garrus watched it get wheeled out carefully, figuring correctly that the turian on that bed was deceased.

"Now that that's done, I suppose you can do what you want," Winston said, "Just don't walk on that leg too much. If you need anything, don't be afraid to press the button. Thing is, no one's going to be able to give you immediate attention with the crowds we have here."  
"I know," Garrus replied.

"And one other thing: your friend, Commander Shepard, was asking about you."

"She was?"

"Yes, she was," Winston replied. Garrus' mood brightened slightly at mention of this. It was good to hear that the Commander had not completely forgotten about it. "I think she wants to see you. Should I tell her you're available?"  
Garrus nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be good…thanks."

Winston nodded and turned around, leaving the room and leaving Garrus Vakarian to his own device. The turian sat back in the bed and took a look over at the extranet terminal nearby. That message, whatever was in it, was waiting for him. He supposed that it could wait a while, despite the fact that it had probably already waited long enough.

A few minutes later and Commander Katelyn Shepard walked in, dressed in standard Alliance uniform. She seemed better off than Garrus, with barely a scratch on her. Garrus could only feel a little jealous towards her apparently perfect health while he was stuck in this bed with a broken leg. Then again, he supposed that some people were just luckier than others.

Shepard's gaze lightened up as she entered and saw him.

"Hey Garrus," she said, stopping by the side of his bed.

"Commander…"

"We're not on duty, so just call me Kate…or Shepard…whatever suits you." She sat down at the end of his bed, looking towards him with a somewhat pleased gaze. She did seem happy to see him…After all, they hadn't seen each other since they had been pulled from the wreckage in the Council chambers. Usually Garrus would have been just as happy to see her but there was something that bugged him. It was only a slight thought but it was there nonetheless.

"Do you mind if I ask a question, Comm…" Garrus trailed off. "I mean, _Kate_."

"Anything, Garrus," Shepard said.

"Do you regret the decision you made, to do with the Council?" Garrus asked, "They did die, after all. It just bugs me that we could have saved them…"

"We saved more lives this way," Shepard replied, "Besides, since when were you so concerned with the Council?"

Garrus shrugged. Maybe he was just worrying too much. He should have expected this sort of decision from Shepard: she would never give up human lives just to save the Council. Garrus might have decided on the same thing, if he had been in her position.

"Uh…well, I suppose it's just something I wanted to clarify," Garrus said, "And when I think about it, I might have decided the same thing if I had been in your position. There's no way to know that for sure, though."

"It doesn't matter," Shepard replied, "I didn't come here to speak to you about that. No use dwelling on past events, anyway."  
Garrus nodded. He could see the logic in this and besides, why should he worry himself over what had already been done? It seemed like a waste of a decent talk with the Commander. They had gotten the mission completed and was that not the only thing that mattered? Completing the mission no matter what the cost? Garrus had the feeling then that maybe the right decision had been made. The job had been done and with fewer casualties than could have been.

"I wanted to talk about us, Garrus," Shepard said after a momentary pause, "Namely, I want to ask you: What are you going to do now?"

"Now?" Garrus frowned. "Well, right now I'm hungry so I think I might order something to eat…"

Shepard shook her head, managing a slight smile at Garrus' response.

"I mean, what are you going to do next? You told me you'd reapply for Spectre training. Are you still going to do that?"

Garrus was silent for a moment, pondering the suggestion. This had been what he had been thinking of doing, especially after Shepard had helped him find and eliminate Dr. Saleon. But now, after what he and Shepard had done…what was the word again? _Consummation_, that was it. He was not about to leave her, not after they had taken their relationship to the "intimate" level. Spectre training would require that he leave her…but why did he have to reassign for Spectre training when he could simply work alongside Shepard and have all the privileges of a Spectre as a result? It had worked for him so far. Shepard and him had gone to many different worlds, brought justice to many wrongdoers…it had been one big adventure and Garrus was not about to give it up to go through Spectre training. There was a chance he might not even get accepted as a Spectre candidate, especially if his father got wind of what he was planning and made a big deal out of it.

"Am I still going to do it?" Garrus said, aloud. His eyes met with Shepard's. He could see what she wanted him to do: She did not want him to leave. Why would she want him to leave? There was clearly a strong bond between them and Garrus was not about to be the one to sever it.

"I'm going to stay with you, Shepard," Garrus replied, "Spectre training isn't really urgent. I'm not about to abandon you yet…not when the sex is _that_ great." Upon saying this the old man in the bed across the room seemed to wake up, eyeing the turian curiously.

"Just what I wanted to hear," The Commander replied, smiling. Garrus felt a little better after clearing that up, adamant that the decision he had made had been the right one. He would not leave Shepard, not after all that they had done.

"There is one other thing I want to know," Garrus said, "About what you're going to do next."

"Me?" Shepard shrugged. "I haven't a clue yet."

"How about some shore leave?" Garrus asked, "How does that sound?" He did not have to say just what he wanted to do on shore leave since Shepard caught the hint. She smirked but otherwise just shrugged, genuinely unsure of where they would be going after they returned to the _Normandy_.

"There's always some bad guy out in the galaxy to deal with," Shepard said, "Saren wasn't the only lunatic out there."

"Yeah, but Saren seemed to be the most dangerous," Garrus replied, "But I can see where you're going. That no matter what we do, there's always going to be some crazy bastard we're going to have to put down for whatever reason. I guess Spectres like you don't get much of a chance to take a break from the action."

"The life of a Spectre is always intense."

"Yeah, and anyone who works alongside that Spectre is going to be taken along for the ride…in more ways than one." Garrus smiled as he said this and Shepard returned the favour.

There was a long pause as neither of the pair had much else to say at that moment. Garrus was the one to break the silence, thinking that it was about time he dealt with the message that was awaiting him. Whatever it was, it probably was not very personal primarily because it had been a long time since he had received personal mail. He nodded towards the extranet terminal.

"Uh, Shepard…I had Joker forward that private message of mine to that terminal. Do you mind getting it for me?" Garrus asked, "I can't really walk on this leg…"

"No problem, Garrus," Shepard said and she stood up, stepping over to the terminal and uploading the message to a datapad. She handed the turian the datapad before sitting back down at the end of the bed.

"Do you want me to leave?" Shepard asked, "I'll understand, since it might be personal…"

"No, you can stay," Garrus replied, "I doubt it's much anyway." He worked the touch-screen display of the datapad, flicking through some of Shepard's files before finding the message. He was somewhat surprised to see it was not just a single message: in fact, it was a whole folder full of differing files. There was one audio file and several text ones. When he saw the heading on the most recent document he raised an eyebrow ridge in some uncertainty. Shepard sensed his apprehension and leaned forwards, her curiosity aroused.

"What is it?" She asked.

Garrus glanced up from the datapad. He suddenly had a bad feeling about what he would find within the documents.

"It's do to with my brother," Garrus replied absently, opening the most recent of the documents.

"Your brother?" Shepard frowned. "You never mentioned you had a brother…"

"I never needed to mention it," Garrus replied, looking towards Shepard, "Especially since he and I don't really get along. Hell, we've never gotten along. Even when we were kids we were always fighting over something."

"Family matters can be complicated," Shepard said.

"Yeah, they can."

There was a pause as he skimmed through what was written in the first document. When he did get the main gist of what was written he was at a loss on how to feel: part of him was utterly unsurprised while another part of him was annoyed, upset even. The upset part of him seemed to be the lesser one though. There was some frustration, especially since he immediately regretted not having much to do with his brother.

"His name was Kynarus," Garrus said, looking towards Shepard whilst trying to work out just what to think, "He never got along well with my father. It probably had something to do with my father wanting him to join C-Sec while my brother wanted to pursue a career in the military. That was damaging to their relationship but it got worse when my brother was dishonourably discharged…"

"Dishonourably discharged?" Shepard asked, "Why?"

Garrus shrugged. He could tell that Shepard was genuinely interested to hear about his family…He supposed it came with the relationship he had with her. He knew of her family though: the fact that she had none, for starters. She had never known her parents, forced to grow up by herself in the streets of one of Earth's major cities.

"He had an affair with a female turian who was assigned to his squad," Garrus said, "She got killed and my brother sort of 'lost it' after that, striking a superior officer, insubordination…there was a long list of court martial offences. He got kicked out of the military and ended up a mercenary. This hurt our father pretty badly since he couldn't take the fact that one of his sons had decided to become a criminal. They never spoke again after my brother was discharged."

"When was the last time you spoke to him?" Shepard asked.

"Just before I encountered you in the medical clinic," Garrus replied, remembering the chance encounter, "Apparently Kynarus was here on the Citadel to get another contract from someone, he never said who. What struck me about him then was just how much of a 'wash-out' he appeared to be. Whatever good mercenary career he might have had before had gone, probably because he spent most of the money he earned on drugs and alcohol."

Garrus looked down at the datapad. He was not surprised at what had happened, especially since he had been sort of expecting it.

"He's dead," he said simply.

"What?"

"It says here he was found dead on Earth, of all places," Garrus replied. He swallowed. Why did he suddenly feel so down about it? He had barely had anything to do with his brother…maybe that was why he felt so down about it. With barely any solid relationship between them Garrus had barely had a chance to do anything with his brother. He had taken having a younger brother for granted and had only just realized this after his brother was gone.

"I'm…I'm sorry to hear that, Garrus," Shepard said solemnly, somewhat uncharacteristic for her. Then again, she did feel quite strongly for the turian just as he did for her. She shifted up the bed to get closer, peering towards the datapad containing the information.

"Don't be sorry," Garrus replied, "I'm not. I was expecting this to happen sooner or later…Now that it has, I don't know what to think."

"It's okay to be upset," Shepard said. Garrus looked at her, their eyes meeting. Did he feel upset? Not quite, especially since he had never had much to do with his brother.

"I'm not really upset," Garrus said. He handed the datapad to Shepard. "For one, there's a lot that doesn't add up about his death. What the hell was he doing on Earth?"

Shepard glanced down at the datapad and skimmed through the information. She frowned, just as perplexed as he was.

"Maybe that contract he was on his way to get when you bumped into him here on the Citadel has something to do with it," Shepard said, "Why else would a turian go to Earth?"

"The only other turians I know who would go to Earth are politicians…you know, Ambassador to the Human Systems Alliance, that sort of thing Maybe some traders as well, but otherwise not a lot visit your home-world."

Shepard sifted through the documents, skimming through most before stopping at one in particular. Garrus was silent as she did all of this, his mind full of conflicting thoughts about what he should do. No doubt his father had received a similar message. From the look of it the documents had been compiled by the Alliance, including what appeared to be a coroner's report. The main gist of that report was: _Subject suffered multiple bullet wounds, with one in the right thigh, four in the stomach and one in the head. Death with such injuries was inevitable. The bullet in the head seemed to have been delivered at point-blank…_

"There's an audio file with these other documents," Shepard said.

Garrus looked up.

"I know," he said sourly.

"It says here it's the last entry from your brother's audio journals," Shepard continued.

Garrus frowned. He had not noticed that particular piece of information. He exchanged glances with Shepard.

"Play it," he said.

Shepard selected the audio file and immediately the voice of Kynarus Vakarian, deceased turian mercenary and younger brother of Garrus Vakarian, filtered through the speaker on the datapad. Kynarus' voice sounded strained, as if he was tired and had gone through hell and back. He probably had judging by the way he had died. Garrus found it odd listening to his brother with the knowledge that the turian was dead.

"_Audio log of Kynarus Vakarian, date…uh, well I've lost track of the date. It's hard to keep track when you're going to different planets so I decided to simply give up trying. It's not that it really matters though: I have a feeling I won't make it through this. Everything's become so complicated now that I have trouble wrapping my head around it all. It's not only become complicated…it's become dangerous as well. More dangerous than any other contract I've received, not that the contract itself has much to do with things anymore."_

Garrus and Shepard sat listening as the deceased Kynarus Vakarian delivered his account, the turian's tone somewhat defeatist.

"_I'm going to Earth next, the human home-world. I'm in a lot of trouble but I'm going to see this thing through, even if it kills me. I don't like to leave a job incomplete. Chances are I'll erase this audio log if I survive, so if you are listening to it chances are I'm dead. That's why I need you to finish what I started, whoever's listening. There's an organization called Cerberus…"_

"Cerberus?" Garrus had heard the name before. Hell, he had gone up against the very organization before, as had Shepard. The Commander frowned at the sound of the name, somewhat confused as to what part that organization could play in it all.

"Your brother must have gotten tied up in their business," Shepard said solemnly, "That might explain why he's dead."

This was true enough. From what Garrus knew of Cerberus, it seemed that the organization had a habit of killing anyone who got tangled in their operations. Kynarus must have ended up on the wrong side of the Cerberus group.

"_They hired me to find some sort of package, I don't know what's in it. Now the whole job's gone bad and they want me dead. I don't think I'll last much longer with them on my tail…"_ There was a pause and the sound of a door opening in the background of the recording. Someone spoke, a woman from the sound of it but the voice was too faint to hear clearly. _"Shit, I've got to go. If you are listening to this, find Colonel Tiberius Sommers. He's the bastard that gave me the contract and he's the man with the answers."_

With that, the recording ended. Garrus and Shepard exchanged glances, both of them quite certain about what they would do. There was a long silence between them as the gravity of what had been said in the recording began to sink in.

"We have to follow up on this," Shepard said. Garrus just nodded, feeling obligated to enact vengeance on his brother's killers. For as little he might have had to do with his brother, they were still family. And a family member deserved better.

"So, I guess we're not going on shore leave?" Garrus asked. Shepard shrugged in response. "Fair enough. As I said earlier, there's always some lunatic out in the galaxy who needs to be put down. This Colonel Sommers guy sounds like one to me."


	3. No R&R

**Chapter III: No R&R**

The interior of the _Normandy_ was quiet, as it often was. The background hum of the engines was faint and often faded into nothingness the longer one spent time on the ship. In ship-time it was about midday, with some crew members eating in the mess hall whilst others still had shifts to complete. Hushed conversations could be heard throughout the ship while terminals beeped and clicked every now and then. For a ship it was very quiet and made an excellent place for someone to try and gather their thoughts.

The _Normandy_ was currently parked in the docking bay of C-Sec Academy on the Citadel. The Academy had taken some damage during Saren's attack but the repair efforts were already underway. Saren's Geth forces had taken out the Citadel early in the attack, effectively neutralizing C-Sec's main communications network and sending the rest of the organization's forces into disarray. This had left controlling the Citadel a much harder task. The cleanup operations had eradicated most of the remaining Geth who might have survived through the attack but there was always the possibility that more were to be found. C-Sec itself was crippled and would not regain its usual strength as a law enforcement agency for some time, leaving crime in the Citadel somewhat free to run rampant. Looting in the Wards was not an uncommon occurrence.

Garrus Vakarian's quarters on board the _Normandy_ were small. Ships such as the _Normandy_ were often pressed for space, hence why the majority of the crew slept in sleeping pods. Garrus had been lucky to get quarters, especially since these particular quarters had once belonged to Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. She had died on Virmire and as such she no longer needed her own private room. Garrus had taken the care to remove her personal belongings from the room and have them shipped off to her family. After that he had made the room his own, although interior decoration was not something he had much of a mind for. He had little in the way of décor in his possession, thus his quarters were somewhat bland in appearance. Regardless, he cared little about it and instead spent some of his time in this room, thinking over recent events. Often he was to be found working on the Mako down in engineering, probably because he had always had a knack for mechanic's work. It was something that had interested him when he had been young but becoming a mechanic had not really been something he had been considering, especially when his father had more or less forced him into going into C-Sec.

Garrus sat at the desk that was to one side of the living quarters. By the chair leaned a pair of crutches but it had been a week since his time in the clinic and his leg was healing up well enough for him to walk on it again. He did not like the idea of hobbling around on what were pretty much a pair of metal sticks. It made him feel weak, even inferior to those who could walk without hassle. He hated feeling weak, hence why he had refused help when he had tried to walk without them for the first time a few days before. As much as the regenerative agents helped the broken bones repair themselves, he still had some pain in his left leg whenever he put weight on it. Falling over was not an uncommon occurrence for him now. Commander Shepard had tried to help him up on more than one occasion but he had refused her aid, instead making himself stand back up even when the pain was simply too much. Shepard had warned him about overdoing it since the possibility of reversing the healing effects of the regenerative agents in his leg was very real. Still, he kept pushing himself. He had never thought that a broken bone could have such a damaging effect on his lifestyle.

He wanted to be able to move as well as he had once been able to, primarily because of the feeling he had about what Shepard was planning next.

They were going to follow up on what little clues Kynarus Vakarian had left behind after his death. It had been no surprise to Garrus that his younger brother had died, mostly because of the fact that his brother had been a mercenary. Most mercenaries did not have very long life-spans, especially ones as "washed out" as Kynarus had been. To think that his brother had gotten involved with Cerberus…It was not an impossible notion but it certainly was surprising. Admiral Kahoku had gotten involved with Cerberus and he had ended up dead for his troubles. If the information Garrus had was right, Cerberus was involved in several of the things that Shepard and the rest of the crew of the _Normandy_ had gotten involved with. Cerberus had had a hand in the whole rachni business; they had been researching assorted creatures in bases within the Voyager Cluster; they were linked to a missing survey team on a distant world, the members of which had been all transformed into cybernetic "husks" for their troubles. Whatever this group did, they seemed to have a part in a lot of the galaxy's darker events. Not only that but they seemed to be _everywhere_: There were hints that Cerberus had an information network that was within every legitimate (and illegitimate) organization within the Traverse and perhaps beyond. There was a feeling Garrus had, only a minor one that lay at the back of his mind: was getting involved in another Cerberus affair a good idea?

For as little as he had had to do with his brother, Garrus still felt bad about his death. It certainly was not unexpected but even so, it was quite damning. Garrus was actually beginning to feel regret about not having had a good relationship wit his brother, believe it or not. Yet he and Kynarus had never gotten along very well and they had always disagreed, usually over some of the most trivial of affairs. Garrus felt obligated to follow up on the clues that his deceased brother had left behind, if only to damage the nefariously scheming Cerberus organization even more than had already been done so. Kynarus deserved that much, to have whatever he had become involved with uncovered and dealt with appropriately.

Cerberus may have been everywhere but they were not invincible: Garrus had helped Shepard and the others in destroying a few of their operations. Whatever they found out about this "Colonel Tiberius Sommers" character that Kynarus had mentioned in his last audio log, it probably would lead to a similar situation to the previous entanglements the crew of the _Normandy_ had had with the organization in the past.

Garrus sat at his desk awaiting the inevitable call from his father as he thought through all of this. It would not be long now, he figured. His father would have something to say, even if his relationship with his youngest son had been strained at times. Where Garrus had been his father's favourite, Kynarus had been a bit of a rebel.

His father was paying for the call, hiring out an extranet line for this very occasion. It would be coming through any moment now with only slight delay. Garrus had not spoken to his father for a while, probably because he had had little reason to. The old man was on Palaven after all, living off a pension. The relationship his father had with Kynarus had perhaps been strained from the very beginning, a fact that Garrus was beginning to find clear: Kynarus' birth had killed his mother after all due to complications in the procedure. Maybe their father had blamed him for his wife's death, it was always a possibility. It probably did a lot to explain why Kynarus had rebelled.

There would undoubtedly be a lot of questions his father would ask, especially about his job in C-Sec…one that Garrus no longer had. He was not looking forward to the call as he had effectively made all of the decisions about his career that his father would hate. Garrus was no longer in C-Sec, he was considering reapplying for Spectre training…those were things that would infuriate the old man, perhaps destroy whatever slight connection Garrus still had to his father. Then again, it was his father who was calling _him_ and not the other way around. Garrus had been considering the notion of getting in touch with the old man for the past week. Now he no longer had to keep considering it since his father had decided to take the initiative.

After what had seemed like an eternity of waiting, Joker's voice broke in through the ship's comm system:

"_Uh, Garrus…Got a private call coming through for you. It's from your dad, if what I'm reading here is right. You want me to patch it through?"_ Joker sounded suitably bemused as he delivered the information. No doubt he had never considered Garrus the type who would have even had a father.

"Patch it through," Garrus replied, manipulating the holographic panels at his computer appropriately. There was a brief fizzle of static on the screen and a flare of white noise before the signal finally composed itself. Garrus was greeted with the stern visage of his father, an ageing turian whom Garrus could see himself becoming in another couple of decades. As the old human saying went: _"Like father, like son."_ The resemblances were there, perhaps uncannily so. However, Garrus had received his mother's bright blue eyes and not his father's colder dull grey ones. Those eyes regarded him now sternly, the turian equivalent of a frown forming on his father's features. The older turian was backgrounded with a large window, one that looked out onto one of the cities of Palaven, visible in all its glory in the daytime. It looked to be morning over there.

Garrus tried to keep his expression neutral but some of his downbeat mood translated across through his gaze. Immediately the older turian on the screen spoke, his tone stern and no-nonsense.

"_You never care to call, do you Garrus?"_ His father asked…well, by the way he was speaking it sounded more like a demand than a mere question. _"Instead, the only thing that gives us reason to talk is the death of your brother. Tell me, son, what does that say about our family? Is it the mark of a good family when a man's children don't even have the care to call and have a simple conversation?"_

"I…" Garrus started, tumbled over his words and instead delivered a few mumbled and nonsensical noises as he contemplated what to say. His father's gaze was careful, examining and quite piercing. It was the sort of gaze that could immediately make someone forget how to think straight and it was working its magic on Garrus.

"_I've been hearing things, Garrus…I've been hearing things about your involvement in what happened on the Citadel. This Saren business…It seems to have made you forget your place in society, hasn't it? I've heard that you gave up your job at Citadel Security. Is this correct?"_

"Yes…"

"_And now you reside with that human, Shepard. The butcher of Torfan as she's better known. Residing with a Spectre is a mistake, Garrus. It will get you killed."_

Garrus sighed. He was not about to let his father get the better of him. They were supposed to be talking about Kynarus anyway, not about the mistakes Garrus had apparently made in regards to the direction of his career.

"Damn it father, Kynarus just died. Aren't you in the least bit upset about that?" Garrus tried to keep the anger and frustration out of his voice but found this difficult. Rather, his father's gaze became one of irritation when he sensed his son's temper flaring.

"_Your brother was a mistake, Garrus,"_ the older turian said bluntly, _"And I don't want you to end up the same way."_

Garrus froze when he heard this. Why would a father say something like that about one of his own children? Why would anyone say anything like that about someone? He could tell from his father's gaze that he was being serious about it. His father had never been one for jokes.

"Kynarus was your son," Garrus said, "He was not a mistake…"

_"I tried to raise you both into upstanding citizens. When I saw the way your brother was going I knew it would be impossible to prevent him from falling into a life of depravity. He became a mercenary and as soon as that happened he was no longer my son. I don't want the same thing to happen with you, Garrus. You're the only thing I have left to remember your mother. Don't make the same mistakes your brother did. That was why he ended up getting killed."_

"He ended up getting killed because he got involved with the wrong people," Garrus replied. His father was not the type to really listen to other people's arguments, even if they were valid. Instead, he firmly believed in what he was saying up to the point that he would ignore what everyone else might be trying to tell him. Arguing with Garrus' father had about as much of an effect as talking to a brick wall.

"_That would never have happened if he had listened to me,"_ the older turian replied, _"Besides, it appears to me that you yourself have become involved with the wrong people. By the 'wrong people' I am of course referring to Commander Shepard. She is a bad influence."_

"She is not a bad influence," Garrus said, keeping his tone level yet finding it hard to contain his anger. His father was denigrating the love of his life, after all as well as his brother. "She and myself happen to agree on a lot of things…"

_"Do you know what she did on Torfan? Most of her squad was killed, something that is a definite sign of poor leadership. Innocent people died. She happily killed enemies who were trying to surrender. She's a monster, Garrus. And she's a bad influence."_

"Father, you're crossing the line." Garrus had to swallow in order to control his temper. He did not know just how much more of this he could take.

"_Crossing the line?"_ The older turian shook his head. _"The only one here who happens to be crossing the line is you, Garrus. You crossed that line as soon as you quit C-Sec. I'm trying to convince you to leave Shepard and return to your original job. Gallivanting across the galaxy with an unstable human Spectre is not what I expected of you, Garrus."_

"Commander Shepard…she is a brilliant woman. The best I've ever seen at what she does. I'm helping more people by working with her. I'm amounting to far more than being a mere C-Sec officer. If I was still at C-Sec I'd probably be filing paperwork or arresting people for petty crimes. Chances are I would have died during the attack on the Citadel, although you probably wouldn't have cared too much about that, huh?"

There was a pause as his father carefully took in his son's tone, immediately uncovering a subtle hint within it. Garrus paused for a breath, trying to think of anything else to say. He was not about to let his father denigrate Shepard just because he thought that she was a "bad influence".

"_It sounds like you care about her, Garrus,"_ The older turian said rather bluntly. Garrus kept his expression one of neutrality. Had he said too much? He probably had but he could do little about it. His father seemed to lean closer to the screen on his end of the call, his face one of a stern inquisitiveness.

"_Do you care about her, Garrus?"_ He inquired. His son did not answer. _"Don't lie to me, Garrus. I can tell when you're lying. And I can tell that you care for the human. I just want you to clarify it for me. Do you care for her?"_

"Of course I care for her," Garrus answered slowly, keeping his tone level, "Why wouldn't I? We work together…"

_"You're so easy to read, Garrus. I can tell from your face, your voice…You care about her. Not just as a friend, but something higher than that. Much higher."_

"Are you implying that I love her?" Garrus asked. This was true: he did love her. Funnily enough the turian equivalent of a smile began to form on his features. He loved Commander Shepard…Garrus' father could do nothing about that. The young turian suddenly felt quite confident about his place in the argument.

"_That's quite a specific denial, Garrus,"_ the older turian replied, _"I never mentioned anything about loving her…"_

"I do love her," Garrus said bluntly, "And there's nothing you can do about it. I'm going to stay with her, regardless of whether you think she's a bad influence or not. I don't care and I don't see why I would ever listen to you. You can't stop me from loving someone."  
His father seemed strangely calm about this, listening carefully as Garrus delivered the news. However, when the older turian did speak there was a distinct edge to his voice, hinting at the anger that he was feeling towards his son.

"_Loving a human…You're a disgrace, Garrus. A disgrace to the Vakarian name."_

"I don't care about what you think," Garrus replied simply, "I don't know why I ever did."

_"Think carefully about what you're saying, Garrus. Are you really willing to turn your back on your own father now? I'm giving you one more chance: I want you to leave her, return to C-Sec."_

"Not a chance," Garrus replied. He reached for the "disconnect" button and his father took note of this, his features creasing into a look of anger.

"_Don't do this, Garrus! I'm your father! If you disconnect now you'll never hear from me again! This will be our last conversation…ever! Think about what you're about to do!"_

Garrus ignored his father's angered ramblings and pressed the disconnect button. The image disappeared and the computer reverted back to its usual blue-white screensaver. The young turian sat back in his seat, dwelling over what had just happened. Why should he listen to his father? Garrus was an individual and he did not need to have someone talk him into doing what he did not want to do. Garrus could stay with Shepard, he could love her…what his father thought was not important. Besides, the old man certainly did not seem very concerned about the death of Kynarus. Far from it, in fact. And if Garrus was such a disgrace, how come he had helped save the galaxy? Surely no "disgrace" had ever done something like that before?

Garrus no longer needed to worry about what his father thought. He was not about to waste time talking to the old man again, that was for sure. Instead, he could spend time here with Shepard and the crew and continue doing what he had been doing with them for so long: delivering justice to those who required it, regardless of what it took to do so. No matter who had to die, some criminals just had to be stopped. Cerberus had to be stopped, especially since they had directly involved themselves with the Vakarian family. Garrus' brother was dead because of them, at least that was the logical conclusion. Cerberus had been after him for some reason, having hired him to begin with: it was no surprise then that the organization had decided to betray him instead. They had to be stopped, no matter what.

Garrus was still dwelling on this when the door into his quarters opened. It was Shepard and she was dressed in the standard blue uniform of the Alliance Navy. Garrus looked up and immediately felt at ease with her presence.

"How did it go?" Shepard asked.

"What? The talk with my father?" Garrus shook his head. "Not as well as I would have hoped." He paused, thinking that Shepard probably had a fairly good reason why she was in here. "Any luck on finding out about this Colonel Sommers guy?"

After the final audio log of Kynarus Vakarian had been listened to, Shepard had immediately used her sources to try and gather information on the whereabouts of Colonel Tiberius Sommers, the Ceberus agent mentioned on the audio log. Such sources included plenty on the Citadel, some of them quite reliable. Barla Von, a volus merchant who had ties with the mysterious information dealer known as the "Shadow Broker" had been one of these sources. Shepard had had no trouble in paying for the information that was needed, especially since she earned a hell of a lot of credits from her work as a Spectre. It had been a week but a week was not a very long time.

"I finally got word back from some agent from the Shadow Broker," Shepard explained, "Usually I wouldn't trust a faceless information dealer, but it was our best bet especially since we're going up against Cerberus again."  
"How much did the information cost?" Garrus asked, if only out of curiosity.

"Nothing I couldn't afford," Shepard replied, "And the news I just got back…Well, I've called a gathering in the mess hall. I think we have to get the whole team involved for this one."

Garrus raised an eyebrow ridge.

"What did you find out?" He asked. It must have been important, especially if Shepard was getting the entire team involved. He wondered if the others would be so genuinely interested in going up against Cerberus, especially since the matter was somewhat more personal this time around. Garrus' brother had died, after all.

"I'll tell you along with everybody else," Shepard said, "Come on, they're waiting."

Garrus nodded and rose to his feet, immediately losing his balance on his left leg as a sharp pain erupted from it. He gripped the seat behind him for support while Shepard looked on, obviously quite concerned. She had tried helping him before but Garrus had declined the offers.

"Do you need a hand?" Shepard asked anyway. Garrus stubbornly shook his head, grabbing the pair of crutches leaning against the seat and tucking them into place at his armpits.

"I'll be fine," he replied. Reluctantly he used the crutches to hobble past the Commander, starting on his way out into the corridor. Shepard followed a few paces behind as the pair made their way to the large table in the mess hall.

* * *

"Look, Commander, as much as I feel bad about Garrus' brother dying and all, I just don't see why we have to follow up on this."

Joker's tone and overall look matched the mood of the conversation. Garrus sat in a seat at the large table that took up the mess hall, Shepard sitting on his left while the asari, Dr. Liara T'Soni sat on his right. Joker was in his wheelchair and sat across from Garrus, looking at the reports in front of him with a disdainful gaze. Everyone at the table had received copies of the reports that the Shadow Broker had forwarded to Shepard concerning Cerberus' recent actions. Garrus could tell that very few of the team actually wanted to have anything to do with the proposed mission, primarily because they had all been expecting R&R after all they had done.

"Usually I'd be with you all the way with this one, Commander…It's just that I was sort of expecting some proper shore leave before our next assignment," Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko said from his spot to Joker's right. He sifted through the papers with an examining gaze, conflicted as to whether he should be happy about the new mission or not. "And Virmire? I don't think I can go back there, Commander…Not after what happened to the Gunnery Chief."

Garrus had taken the time to read through the information that had been received carefully. The main gist of it was clear: Cerberus had undergone a recent internal conflict, one that had seen Colonel Tiberius Sommers, an ex-Alliance marine, break away from the rest of the organization with a large number of loyal followers. Whoever was in charge of Cerberus had already begun to organize units to put down this schism but so far Sommers had evaded capture and death.

"We've encountered Cerberus before," Shepard said. She was adamant to follow up on what had been discovered, even if barely anyone else was. "They're a threat to the galaxy. This information has given us another chance to impede whatever schemes they're cooking up. And judging from Sommers' break from the organization, we may even have a potential source of information."

"Colonel Tiberius Sommers?" Joker shook his head as he said the name, "Who the hell would name their kid 'Tiberius'? And what about that last name, 'Sommers'? Is it pronounced 'Summers' or 'Sommers'?"

"I'm pretty sure it's pronounced 'Summers', Joker," Kaidan replied.

"But it's spelt with an 'o'?"

"Yeah."

"Sometimes I'm amazed at how the English language can confuse the hell out of you, with silent letters and alternate spellings and all that crap…"

"Enough small-talk," Shepard said sternly, getting Joker's attention, "Regardless of how you say the Colonel's name, we have a duty to fulfil. This Colonel is a potential asset. Since he's broken from the rest of the organization it's given us the opportunity to apprehend him and question him about Cerberus and whatever they're planning."

"My brother died to give us this chance," Garrus said sternly, finding the other's disillusionment towards the assignment somewhat frustrating, "We can't afford to miss it."

"No, we can't," Shepard added.

Joker looked at one of the reports, cleared his throat and began to read:

"_Colonel Tiberius Sommers, decorated Alliance marine, retired. Believed to have become involved with the Cerberus group in 2170. Believed responsible for a wide range of attacks on turian and salarian military bases in the past decade. Believed to be in charge of one of Cerberus' sub-branches, one dedicated to the disruption of nonhuman military operations. Sommers has a penchant for old-gunpowder style weaponry and is slightly mentally unstable. Also believed responsible for about four hundred and seventy-two deaths during the course of his career with the organization._

"Honestly, Commander, this guy sounds like a psychopath," Joker added, putting down the report, "With that many deaths credited to him, you have to think that 'slightly mentally unstable' is a bit of an understatement."

Garrus sighed. He could tell that this meeting was not getting anywhere. It did not matter in the long run since they would all have to follow the Commander's orders anyway and she seemed quite determined to capture the Colonel. Garrus could probably attribute that decision to the relationship he had with the Commander.

"He's on Virmire overlooking a private excavation dig, probably trying to unearth some Prothean artefacts for himself for whatever reason," the Commander said, ignoring Joker's comment about the Colonel, "I know returning to that planet might be hard on some of you, but it's the only way we're going to have to get to the Colonel. If we can get him alive then we'll have access to a plethora of info Cerberus."

"I don't think he'll give himself up to us, you know, _willingly_," Kaidan replied, adding some emphasis onto the last word.

"We have to try and take him in," Shepard said, "He's no use to us dead."

"Uh, does anyone else at this table find it strange how the Commander's all for this plan?" Joker asked, looking around at the others, "Despite the fact that it's Garrus who wants it carried out the most, probably because it personally affects him? Does it strike anyone else slightly curious that Shepard's completely with the turian on this one? Shouldn't personal vendettas be disallowed from influencing what assignments we take? I mean, we took out Dr. Saleon, didn't we? Or wasn't that enough?"

"I don't find it odd at all," Urdnot Wrex interjected from his corner of the table. His gaze went to Garrus and then to Shepard, who had her usual straight expression on. "You'd have to be a complete idiot to miss it."

"Exactly," Joker said, returning his gaze to Shepard, "And unlike some people, I'm not a complete idiot."

"You sure about that?" Garrus commented. He was beginning to grow tired of Joker's remarks and so this comment received an annoyed glance from the wheelchair bound human.

"You want to take this outside?" Joker asked, frowning with annoyance, "You on the crutches and me in the wheelchair? It's a fair fight, if you ask me."

"Could you two stop?" Shepard demanded, her tone stern, "We're getting caught off track here. We're going to Virmire to find Colonel Sommers, regardless of what anybody else might think. Shore leave is going to have to wait."

"We're right behind you and your turian boyfriend, Commander," Joker said without warning, "it's just that some of us don't see why it's so urgent. I doubt this Colonel Sommers guy is going to go anywhere. Can't we at least take a couple of weeks off? And I don't mean here on the Citadel, I mean some place nice…Maybe Elysium?"

"Turian boyfriend?" Shepard asked, frowning, "I don't know where you got that one from, Joker. And about taking weeks off, it's not going to happen. Not until we're done with this assignment."

There was a brief silence. Garrus tapped his talons on the table impatiently, his gaze meeting with Joker's. That human could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, especially when it came to intruding on the affairs of others. Then again, Joker was an excellent pilot and the only one truly qualified to be flying the_ Normandy_. Garrus, right now, was not sure on what to think of him.

"Chances are the Colonel's got a posse with him, so we're going to need to gear up for a fight," Shepard said, "Our main objective is to take the Colonel alive, not dead. A dead man can't talk."

Garrus looked up, a thought occurring to him then and there. If Sommers had killed his brother was it not alright if Garrus killed Sommers? It would be revenge, plain and simple. As had happened with Dr. Saleon, revenge could be satisfying.

"Do we really need the Colonel alive?" Garrus asked, "People like him shouldn't deserve to live."

Shepard looked towards him, some confliction appearing on her face for a moment. Their eyes met…was that a subtle understanding in hers? The plan was to capture the Colonel but accidents could happen, even with best laid plans. A stray bullet wouldn't add much to the mission reports.

"As much as I would like to agree, I'm not sure whether that's the best option we have for this one," Shepard said, continuing on with the briefing as if nothing had happened between the two of them, "Sommers will have a lot to tell us about Cerberus if we get him alive. And with that information we can probably put a stop to the organization once and for all."

Garrus nodded, although his mind was already set on the course of action he would take. All he needed was some verification of the Colonel's involvement with his brother's death: if the Colonel had been the one to pull the trigger then Garrus would deliver vengeance. It was only fair.

"I've said all I've wanted to," Shepard said, breaking the brief silence that had fallen across the room, "We're done here." She turned to Joker, delivering the orders that would bring the plan into action: "Joker, plot a course for Virmire and make sure to engage our stealth systems once we're in orbit. The last thing we need is for the Colonel to get wind of our approach."


	4. Personal Inquiries

**Chapter IV: Personal Inquiries**

There was always some satisfaction in readying weaponry, regardless of what kind it may be. Garrus had seen much in the way of combat over the years and even more so ever since he had joined up with Shepard and the crew of the _Normandy_. He had no qualms with killing people who deserved to die and this Colonel Sommers character seemed no different. When they found him on Virmire Garrus would attempt to clarify whether or not the human was directly involved with his brother's death. If so, his choice of action was clear: a few bullets in the head, just to make sure. Sommers was linked with Cerberus, making him as much of a criminal as anyone else who worked for the organization. Chances were there were a hell of a lot of people tied up with Cerberus.

Garrus was standing by his locker down in engineering, sorting through his equipment and deciding what would be best for the upcoming mission. Virmire was a paradise on the edge of the Traverse but its location made it a haven for assorted types of criminals, especially since it was so close to the border of the crime-rife Terminus Systems. Virmire would have been colonized already if it were not for the amount of criminals that sought haven on the tropical world. Colonel Sommers and his goons were just another bunch, except they were a bunch with a purpose: according to the information received from the Shadow Broker, it seemed that Sommers was organizing an archaeological dig in a region of the planet mere kilometres from the edge of the destruction caused by the nuke that had destroyed Saren's base only a couple of weeks earlier. The excavation site had only been setup a few days after Shepard and the team's intervention on the planet, hinting that maybe their actions there had stirred up interest in the distant but beautiful planet. Detonating a nuke was not hard to miss and there could very well be people looking to Virmire as another colony, regardless of the criminal scum that so often set up base on the world.

What would happen on the ground was unknown: Sommers would have a competent bunch of loyal soldiers protecting him and the excavation site. The approach to the Colonel would have to be slow and stealthy, otherwise Sommers may consider making a run for it. The information from the Shadow Broker had supplied a recent photo of the human, one which Garrus picked up now and gazed at carefully.

Colonel Tiberius Sommers was a tall, authoritative looking man with dark hair and blue eyes. He was outfitted in a golden-brown trench-coat and dark trousers while at his hip he had an old style human weapon in a holster: according to the information supplied, Sommers had an affinity for old Earth weaponry. Apparently, with the right modifications, an outdated lead spewing gun could become very dangerous and make more than a fair comparison to modern firearms. The one in the holster, if what Garrus knew of human-built weaponry was correct, was what was called a "revolver": a centuries old weapon that used a primitive chamber system and was somewhat bulky and heavy compared to modern sidearms. However, Sommers had made some modifications to the weapon and this was clear in the photo: there was a modern day telescopic sight attached to the weapon, adding more bulk but improving its effectiveness over long ranges.

Garrus put away the photo, sliding it into the folder with the rest of the documents. He had the feeling that Shepard had lied abut paying the Shadow Broker: the Shadow Broker did owe her, primarily because she had sold them information of Cerberus' activities after running into the organization in the Voyager Cluster. Maybe she had paid for it, maybe she didn't…who knew? Garrus did not care much about how she had acquired the information, just as long as it was right and would not send them all on some wild goose chase. "Wild goose chase" was a human expression he had heard a few times, although the meaning had taken a while for him to actually learn: usually chasing wild birds was a waste of time.

There was a bundled up suit of red and black armour within the locker. It was the set Garrus wore when going on a mission, primarily because his usual blue outfit was not as effective at protecting him. He would change into it later, but right now he had a few things to do.

He removed a Raptor assault rifle from the locker. This variant was constructed by Devlon Industries and was quite reliable, if a little expensive. He had not paid for it: rather, he had picked it up from a dead mercenary on an uncharted world after he had helped Shepard bust a smuggling operation. Why pay for a new gun when you can find all the good ones dropped by your fallen foes? It certainly left more money in Garrus' pocket, money that allowed him to buy the things he really wanted.

The turian picked up the weapon, weighed it in his grip and slid a fresh magazine into the hilt. Such weapons did not use "magazines" in the general sense, more like "slabs of metal". He put the assault rifle aside and took out his sidearm, a Stinger pistol, that he also loaded and added to the growing pile of equipment he would be bringing along. He was not sure who else Shepard would have coming along, but it certainly would not be Kaidan: the Lieutenant was somewhat reluctant to return to Virmire, especially after what had happened to Ashley Williams. Shepard did not seem to have much of a problem going back to that world, despite the hard memories she might have had to do with the place and what had transpired.

Garrus was standing up as he did all of this, despite the pain that was coming from his left leg. It hurt but not as much as it had been this morning, primarily because of the painkillers he had taken after the meeting. He needed to be able to operate at peak ability when he was on the ground at Virmire and he did not need a still healing broken leg to impede his performance. Even now he removed a container of painkilling tablets from a compartment in his armour, popping open the cap and tapping a few out into an open hand. Without hesitation he downed all three of them before putting away the container. Briefly he glanced at the label, taking little notice of the warnings printed across it. Not only was he in pain but he was doped up as well, a certainly prime condition to be in before an important mission. He did not need to miss the opportunity he had been given, not because of a mere injury and not because he was feeling a little "higher" than usual. This was his chance to find out just what his brother had gotten himself into to wind up dead on Earth and Garrus was not about to miss it. He might not have had much to do with his brother but he still needed to bring closure to the whole affair, even if it meant getting tangled up with Cerberus again. Shepard was all for the plan as well, although the others were not. He was not sure what Wrex or Tali thought but general consensus amongst the others was that it was an unnecessary mission, one that could wait until after they had all gotten some shore leave. No wonder people on board were suspicious of him and Shepard and what might or might not be between them.

Closing his locker, Garrus paused for a moment in thought. The talk with his father had ended badly and chances were his father would want to have little to do with him as a result from here on. It struck the turian just how fragmented his family had become…turians were supposed to have near unbreakable family relationships, at least this was how public perception seemed to lean towards. Instead his mother was dead, his brother was dead and his father hated him. One bonus in this whole familial mess was that he no longer needed to worry about what they thought of him, especially his father who had always been against Garrus becoming a Spectre. Well, now the turian was involved with one and had practically as many privileges as a Spectre as long as he stayed working with her. And he was not about to leave, not after what they had done together. Leaving was something he had been considering ever since Saren had been completely killed off, but it was something that Garrus did not see himself doing…not yet, anyway. And if he did leave, what would he do? The only way he would leave was if something happened to Shepard and he probably would not be able to live with himself if such a thing occurred.

Garrus closed his locker. They would be arriving in orbit around Virmire in about half an hour so now was as good a time as any to start suiting up for the mission. The turian turned around and was about to heft up his pile of equipment when he saw who had approached him from behind. Garrus simply sighed when he saw who it was since he certainly was not in the mood for a talk, especially with a krogan.

Urdnot Wrex was outfitted in his usual red armour, his reptilian eyes examining Garrus carefully for a moment. He spoke, his deep voice laced with some amusement.

"Tell me, turian…" Wrex began, giving what appeared to be the krogan equivalent of a frown, "What is it that's between you and Shepard? I think I already know the answer, but I want you to tell me."

"Get lost, Wrex," Garrus said bluntly, "I'm not in the mood to talk to you, of all people."

Garrus went to walk past the krogan but Wrex stepped in front of him in an intimidating fashion. If Garrus was reading the reptile's face correctly it seemed that Wrex was enjoying this. The turian had a good idea what Wrex was referring to but was not about to give the krogan the satisfaction of answering the question…at least, not right now. It depended on how this conversation played out.

"You have the Commander under your influence, I can tell," Wrex said, "She likes you, maybe you return the favour…Unless you're just doing it to get control of her. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case since you turians can be manipulative…"

"I am not in control of Commander Shepard," Garrus replied defensively, "She's an individual. She only supports me, as she does with everyone else on this ship, including you Wrex. Keep that in mind before you start accusing me of being manipulative."

"So it is genuine then, is it?"

"What's genuine?" Garrus was beginning to get annoyed but he could do little to sway the krogan. Krogans were not easily fazed and Wrex was quite the implacable type.

"You like her."

"Of course I like her," Garrus replied, keeping his voice level. He kept the telltale signs of lying out of his voice…at least, he tried to anyway. "She's a good friend and she's no doubt the same to you…Well, she does talk to you as much as she talks to me. You listened to her on Virmire."

"I respect her," Wrex replied bluntly, "Thing is, I don't respect you, turian. You're lying to me and I can tell…Usually when someone's lying to me I'd break their neck but if I did that to you no doubt the Commander would throw me out the airlock."

"She'd be doing us all a favour," Garrus remarked. He could not help but keep the amusement from creeping into his voice and was even more amused at the way Wrex bristled slightly. Garrus did know not to push his luck, especially when it came to krogans and a rather unpredictable one at that.

"Maybe breaking your neck is worth the consequences," Wrex said, his voice strangely controlled. Garrus was unfazed: he had dealt with krogans before, during his time in C-Sec. They always tried to intimidate you, regardless of the topic of conversation. It was their nature.

"Seriously Wrex, could you just get out of my way?" Garrus asked, "I've got things to do."

"I'm not going to move until I've heard the truth, turian," Wrex replied somewhat stubbornly. If anything, krogans were stubborn and they had all the reason to be. Trying to get past a tall, muscular armour plated reptilian killing machine could be difficult.

"The truth?" Garrus sighed. Right now he needed a miracle to get out of this one. Hopefully someone else would come by, perhaps interrupt the conversation…but the engineering deck was empty save for the requisitions officer and a few technicians. None of them were paying attention to what was happening between the turian and the krogan.

"Yes, turian, I want you to tell me the truth. I think I already know it but hearing you say it yourself is going to be worth it."

Garrus simply stood his ground and shook his head. No krogan was going to intimidate him. Again he tried to walk around Wrex but the big reptile simply stepped in front of him. Garrus tried the other direction but the same thing happened. A few more attempts later and Garrus was bordering on simply pushing Wrex aside…although the risk of starting a fight was certainly high.

"Could you get out of my way?"

"Not until I hear you say it…"

"Say it? What do you want me to say?"

"That you're in bed with the Commander," Wrex replied bluntly, "It's obvious…at least to me it is. I don't know about anyone else on this ship. Humans can be so stupid sometimes."

"That I'm in bed with the Commander?" Garrus asked, his tone one of innocence, "I don't know where you got that one from, Wrex."

"I've seen the way you two look at each other, I've heard the way you two talk to each other. There's no use denying it, turian: you and her are as close as a couple can get."

Garrus sighed again. No matter what he said to deny it, there was no way he was going to be able to persuade Wrex that it was not true…It _was_ true for starters but he would have preferred to keep it a secret from the rest of the crew. Keeping secrets on board a ship could be difficult, though. This was probably because of the close quarters.

"Don't worry, turian: I won't tell anybody. At least, as long as you don't piss me off," Wrex said, noticing Garrus' resigned look, "Although I don't think you're going to have to worry about me telling everyone. By the time this day's through, most people on the ship are going to be thinking that Commander Shepard seems awfully friendly towards the only turian on board, huh?"

Garrus decided that maybe it was not such a big deal. Sure, people could think that there was something going on between him and the Commander but they would never be sure. Chances are no one would care, unless they were a loud-mouth like Joker who had the habit of intruding on people's personal business. In Garrus' view, Joker was a bit of a jerk.

"Can you get out of my way?" Garrus asked again. He was beginning to tire of this conversation as well as having Wrex in his way, breathing that stinking krogan breath into his face. What the hell did Wrex eat to make it that bad, anyway?

Wrex stepped aside slowly, eyeing Garrus carefully with what looked to be a hint of satisfaction on his face…krogans were hard to read so Garrus could not be sure of just what Wrex was thinking. It did not matter: Garrus could finally get on with what he had originally been intent on doing.

The turian took up his equipment and made towards his quarters, only to quite literally bump into Shepard on the way there. It took him a moment to realize who it was but Shepard knew immediately.

"Garrus," she said. She stopped and looked at him, frowning when he saw the sour look on his face. "You look constipated."

"Constipated?" Garrus asked absently. It took him a moment for the word to register in his mind and when it did he shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not constipated. At least, I don't think I am…"

Shepard simply smirked at his response. Garrus was not as amused as she was, feeling a little confused as to what she had meant by the question. Constipated? How the hell could he look like that? Human humour could be a little hard to understand sometimes.

Shepard took note of the way he seemed to be limping on his left leg. Sure, it still hurt to put weight on it but he was confident he could manage.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright walking on that?" Shepard asked, some concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Garrus said, "You don't have to worry about me."

Shepard seemed to look around the corridor for a moment before returning her gaze towards him. A technician strolled past, briefly saluting the Commander before continuing onwards.

"I do worry about you, Garrus," Shepard said, her voice taking on a slightly gentler tone. She put a hand up to the turian's features, gently feeling along the cleft of his jaw, tracing her fingers down one of his mandibles before her hand came to rest on his shoulder. Garrus did feel an understandable increase in his heart-rate and he found himself looking into Shepard's blue eyes again, becoming almost lost in them. Inevitably, the pair began to lean closer to one another. It had been a week since they had last been close and this slight show of affection did much to ease the troubles on Garrus' mind. The whole business to do with his brother, his father and Cerberus…It was beginning to become a little too much, all at once. When he was this close to Shepard he lost track of his thoughts, finding that the only thing he could think about was her.

Her lips went to his mouth and they kissed. Garrus did his best to emulate the human act but without "lips" he had some trouble. Shepard did not seem to mind, instead the now familiar sensation of her tongue finding its way into the turian's mouth occurred. Seconds passed and eventually they did break from the kiss, if only because they had heard footsteps coming from further down the corridor. A pair of technicians walked by, talking amongst themselves before snapping off a quick salute to the Commander.

"When we come back from Virmire," Shepard said quietly, once the technicians had gone by, "I was wondering if you were interested in sharing a drink in my quarters? You know, to celebrate our capture of the Colonel?"

Garrus caught the hint immediately. He did smirk, turian style but he doubted that the Commander could tell.

"Yeah, sure," Garrus replied. He paused, realizing something important. He needed to clarify something that had been hinted at during the meeting.

"Uh, about the Colonel…" Garrus said. Shepard raised an eyebrow. She could tell from Garrus' tone that she was about to get asked something important.

"What about him?"

"You say we're going to capture him," Garrus said, "I can see why we should do this, but there's something I need to talk to you about. If this Colonel Sommers guy is responsible for the death of my brother…I need to kill him, Shepard. Bastards like the Colonel don't deserve to live. Just like Dr. Saleon."

Shepard seemed to consider the notion for a moment. Garrus could tell that she was thinking through all of the potential consequences that might occur as the result of the Colonel's death…lack of information on Cerberus for one.

"I'm sure that when we find him there's going to be trouble," Shepard replied, "If he gets hit with a stray bullet then that's just bad luck, huh?"

Garrus nodded. He understood: Shepard would not condemn him for killing the Colonel. She did not care whether the Colonel lived or died, just as long as he was either captured or killed. She wanted to see this through as much as Garrus did, perhaps even more so. Cerberus was a growing threat and yet they still knew so little about them. However, if Sommers had broken away from the organization would not killing him simply be doing the Cerberus group a favour?

"There's just one thing, Garrus," Shepard said, "You might want to kill him, but there's no telling whether or not he actually had anything to do with the death of your brother. He might be our only lead to finding who's responsible."

"Yeah, I know that," Garrus replied, "That's why I'm going to try and clarify his involvement before I shoot him. I don't know how I'm going to do that but I'm going to figure out something, like I always do. Besides, he's Cerberus: That's more than enough of a reason to kill him, I think."

"Maybe it is, but before you do anything hasty when we're down on Virmire, just try and make sure we don't need him before you shoot him, alright?" Shepard delivered this in a fairly nonplussed manner, as if she was not overly concerned with whatever fate befell Colonel Sommers.

The pair were distracted by the sound of Joker's voice filtering through the comm system, as it so often seemed to do.

"_Commander, we're only a few minutes away from exiting the jump. You might want to come up to the bridge, though…you know, tell me where to drop the Mako and all…"_

"I'll be right there," Shepard replied, "Just make sure our stealth systems are engaged as soon as we're out of FTL."

_"Got it, Commander."_

Shepard looked towards Garrus, nodding in the direction of the elevator.

"We should get going," she said. Garrus nodded in response, following the Commander into the elevator. Shepard pressed the button on the holographic panel for the bridge and the elevator started its brief but steady ascent, the door sliding open once it had reached its destination.

Shepard arrived on the bridge with Garrus following a few paces behind. Outside the odd culmination of bright lights and colours that was Faster Than Light travelled abruptly disappeared, replaced by a wide vista of stars and the unmistakable bright blue sphere that was the planet Virmire. It was a paradise of a world and if one could get past the constant stream of pirates and smugglers who set up hideouts on the planet's surface, Virmire would make an excellent holiday destination.

Joker sat in the pilot's seat, working the controls and engaging the _Normandy_'s stealth systems as soon as the exit from FTL was complete. Immediately the quite background hum of the engines faded, leaving an almost unnatural silence.

Joker noticed the Commander and glanced towards her, paying only slight attention to Garrus' presence on the bridge.

"I never thought we'd have to come back here," Joker said, returning his gaze to the controls spread out before him, "I mean, we never make many return trips to the places we visit, do we?"

"Anything interesting on the ship's sensors?" Shepard asked, ignoring the extent of Joker's small-talk.

Garrus stood a short distance behind the Commander, watching Joker work the controls for a moment before shifting his gaze through the main viewport. Virmire took up most of the view, white cloud formations swirling slowly across its surface while the occasional flash of a lightning storm hinted at rough weather in some regions.

Joker did a quick skim through the readings coming from the ship's sensors. He seemed to frown at one reading in particular and Shepard noticed his reaction, stepping forwards so she stood just to his side.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Some sort of ship," Joker said, working the controls. One of the displays changed to a view to outside the ship, providing detailed readouts on some points of interest. In orbit around the planet and appearing as a small dot against the blue of the planet was indeed a ship, small in size and most likely a frigate like the _Normandy_.

"It's Alliance built but somehow I don't think it's actually with the Alliance," Joker said, "The lack of markings sort of gives that away". The view on the display zoomed in on the mere dot, enhancing the quality of the image as it did so. Parked in a geosynchronous orbit around Virmire was an Alliance frigate. The general design of an Alliance frigate was all there…save for any real discerning markings, meaning that Joker was probably correct in assuming that it was not actually aligned with the Alliance, regardless of who may have designed and built it.

"It's on silent running," Joker said, "Our sensors were only just able to pick it up. Whoever owns it certainly wants to keep a low profile." He paused, turning to look back at the Commander. "It's probably this Colonel Sommers guy…"

"Or it could be a gang of pirates," Shepard said.

"Since when did pirates fly Alliance frigates?" Joker asked.

"They could have hijacked one," Garrus suggested, feeling that he had to at least have some sort of say in the conversation.

"I doubt that," Shepard replied. She looked towards Joker. "Get us past them, Joker."

"It might be the ship Sommers came in on," Garrus said, "Cerberus probably has access to the latest designs…That might explain why it's Alliance built."

Shepard turned around to face him as Joker worked the controls, flying the _Normandy_ closer to the blue world. The mysterious ship showed no sign of becoming aware of the _Normandy_'s presence, indicating that the stealth systems were working perfectly. The only way they would become aware of them was if they actually saw the ship fly-by…And space, being the big place it was, made such a possibility very minimal in occurring.

"If it is we're already one step closer to locating the Colonel," Shepard replied.

"Commander, I'm detecting a shuttle leaving the ship," Joker announced.

"Keep track of its vapour trail and find out where it lands," Shepard ordered, only just glancing at the pilot as she spoke, "Then find us a suitable spot to drop the Mako. We're going in."

"Got it, Commander."

Shepard left the bridge and Garrus followed. A question cropped up in the turian's mind at that moment, one that he asked as he followed Shepard through the control centre of the ship.

"Uh, Commander…" Garrus began and Shepard stopped, turning around.

"What is it, Garrus?"

"Who's coming with us down to the surface?" Garrus asked.

Shepard took a moment to answer. Garrus detected a trace of amusement on her features and the turian suddenly had a feeling he would not be liking the answer.

"Wrex," Shepard replied. She was about to turn around and leave it at that but Garrus tugged at her shoulder as she did so, inciting her to shift her gaze back towards him.

"Wrex? Are you kidding?" Garrus had already had enough of that krogan. Why Shepard liked the reptile so much was beyond him.

"No, I'm not," Shepard said, smiling at the turian's reaction, "Why? What's wrong with Wrex?"

"Oh…Uh…" Garrus trailed off. He was not entirely sure just why the idea of having the krogan tag along was a bad one. Then again, he had never really liked Wrex and the krogan had gladly returned the favour. It was hard to be sure just how the animosity between them had started…maybe it had something to do with the fact that Garrus was a turian and that the turians were responsible for effectively sterilizing the krogan race. Maybe it had something to do with that…who could be sure?

"Nothing," Garrus finished, "Nothing's wrong with Wrex."

_What a lie that was_, he thought absently.

Shepard did not say much to this, she did not need to. Instead, she turned around and resumed walking. Garrus followed, unsure of just how he would be able to deal with Wrex while down on Virmire. He already had enough problems, such as his aching leg and his indecision over what to do when they did find Colonel Sommers. Even so, he made his way to his quarters where he got changed into his other suit of armour and equipped himself with the weapons he had selected from his locker. Minutes later he made his way down to engineering where Shepard and the krogan were waiting. His gaze met with Wrex's for a moment and the krogan seemed to examine carefully. Shepard broke the exchange by ordering them both into the Mako.

What would happen on Virmire, Garrus did not know. There was a part of his mind that was thinking that they were making a mistake. What could a Cerberus agent possibly be doing with an excavation site on Virmire? Something bad, no doubt. Prothean artefacts always lead to trouble…take the beacons, for example. Little did Garrus know that what would happen on Virmire would simply be the start of a chain of events that would have him at the centre of them all.

"I have a feeling that this is gonna be fun," Wrex said as he climbed into the Mako. Garrus did not share this view but then again he rarely agreed with the krogan.


	5. Return to Virmire

**Chapter V: Return to Virmire**

Virmire was a world of crystal blue oceans, tropical beach paradises and lush grassy plains. Storms often wracked the tropical regions depending on the time of year, with lightning flashes visible in the distance from any coastline. Rock formations and cliffs broke up the landscape, often with a tall cliff-face looking out over a sandy yellow beach. The sand itself was soft and fine, mingled with small stones and the occasional sand dwelling insect. It was an almost unspoilt paradise, with its most beautiful regions often populated by criminals from the nearby Terminus Systems. Virmire made a good planet to set up a hideout or two, primarily because of its hospitable conditions.

The shuttle from the frigate in orbit had since landed and its vapour trail had been traced to a region about two kilometres from where the Mako had been deposited. There was apparently some sort of activity going on and a probe had certified that a temporary base had been set up, centring around what was undoubtedly an excavation site. Some ancient ruins had been unearthed, most probably Prothean. It made sense to think that it was the same place that the Prothean beacon had been found on Virmire, the one that Saren had stored in his base up until its destruction. The excavation site was accessible only through a few winding, rocky narrow passages which would explain why airborne transport was being used to transport items from and back to the frigate in orbit. Whoever was running the excavation was organized, having taken the care to ensure they were presenting as low a profile as possible.

The Mako had been deposited by a beach, the waves splashing against the vehicle's wheels. Garrus had been seated in the passenger's seat as Commander Kate Shepard worked the controls, Garrus doing his bit to ensure the vehicle's systems were working smoothly. Wrex sat in the back, keeping quiet as he sharpened a nasty looking curved blade. The displays before Garrus provided information on the Mako's many workings, including engines and weaponry. One display provided a basic map of the region, including the location of the apparent excavation site. Unfortunately the Mako would not be able to pass through the narrow and uneven passages that lead directly into the excavation site, meaning that the trio would have to continue their mission on foot.

Garrus could remember quite vividly his last visit to this world, primarily because it had been only a couple of weeks ago. He had accompanied Shepard through most of it, culminating in the confrontation with Saren. Garrus had seen that confrontation as a bit of a missed opportunity to take the bastard out but this meant little now that Saren was dead. The people of the galaxy could rest easy…for a while, at least. There were still plenty of lunatics at large in the galaxy and Garrus had intentions on bringing as many to justice as he could.

He was somewhat grateful when they had to abandon the Mako, primarily because of its cramped and stuffy interior. Outside the sunlight was warm against his skin and the sand soft under his feet. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was quite prominent, as was the distant sounds of native wildlife emitting their calls. Up ahead there was a gap in the cliff-face, opening into a narrow winding rock passage littered with salt water puddles and thick, vibrant green undergrowth. It seemed likely that it flooded whenever the tide rose s it would probably be best if it was traversed through when the water levels were low.

Garrus, outfitted in a set of red and black armour and an assault rifle in his grip, walked a short distance behind Shepard. He kept his alertness level up since it was likely that if Colonel Sommers was at the excavation site there would probably be some of his goons as well. There was no way to exactly determine the amount of enemies at in and around the excavation site so chances were the three of them were going up against superior numbers. Superior numbers was certainly not an excuse to turn around and leave, though. Garrus had been in a lot of situations where he had been outnumbered and outgunned but he had always come out of them reasonably unharmed…He did have scars to show for what injuries he had received in the past.

Wrex tailed a few metres behind, his reptilian features looking as serious as they always did. Garrus disliked having the krogan around, as if the reptile's sheer presence irritated him. It probably did which would explain why he could not quite shake the annoyance he felt: it would remain there for as long as Wrex was nearby. The krogan himself paid little attention to the turian, instead keeping his attention to his surroundings and making sure to remain alert.

At the entrance to the rock passage Shepard stopped. She was outfitted in a suit of white and grey armour, a set that matched to her every curvature perfectly. Garrus could not help but watch as she knelt down by the entrance into the naturally formed passage, picking up something from the sand. Garrus' eyes briefly flitted to the Commander's backside but were drawn back up to her face as she stood up, turning around to look at her squad members. She held something small and narrow in one hand.

"A cigarette," she said, "And it looks pretty fresh."

She dropped the aforementioned cigarette back onto the sand. Garrus knew what the find meant: there were people here and they were definitely human since what other species smoked cigarettes? That sort of thing could damage someone's health, after all. If the cigarette was indeed fresh then someone had been here before them only recently, further implying that the trio were on the right track.

"Alright, stick close and keep alert," Shepard ordered, "The narrow conditions up ahead make it a good place for an ambush."

Garrus nodded in acknowledgement, hefting his assault rifle and holding it just across his stomach. He had a feeling that there would be trouble, especially if there were people here…and most likely those people were with Colonel Sommers, the ex-Alliance Marine and Cerberus agent who had broken away from the organization. He was the man Garrus thought responsible for his brother's death. He had most definitely been involved in it somehow…how exactly remained to be discovered. If he had killed his brother then Garrus knew exactly what to do with him.

Shepard started walking into the passage between the rock formations, Garrus following behind. Wrex walked a short distance to Garrus' right, creating a standard close-knit squad formation. There were only three of them so some of the bigger formations could not be achieved.

The trio stepped through undergrowth and salt water puddles, some of them populated by small alien fish. Above, in a cleft within a rock-face was a multi-coloured alien bird, standing guard over its nest as the three interlopers wandered by. It squawked in annoyance as they passed, watching them with a pair of beady blue eyes.

The tropical environment and the overall look of the place sort of reminded Garrus of Palaven, except that Virmire lacked metropolitan areas. Palaven was hot and humid, with a sun that could burn those not adapted to it easily. Thus turians had evolved to have their hardened scaly exoskeletons to protect them from the heat of such a harsh sun. Even here on Virmire Garrus had begun to feel hot under his armour, although he could tell that Shepard was worse off. She was human and she would not be able to cope with the heat as well as he did. Beads of sweat were already beginning to form on her brow.

The trio continued forwards, following the winding passage as it began to slope upwards slightly. The amount of puddles began to decrease until there were none whatsoever and instead thick, vibrant grass took up the floor of the passage. Shepard lead the group, stopping by a cluster of boulders rather abruptly. She put a hand up to signal the group to stop. Garrus froze where he was, looking past the rocks and into the open area beyond. Shepard ducked behind the boulders and Garrus followed while Wrex took cover by a set of boulders off to the right.

Calm and collected, Garrus raised his rifle and peered over the tops of the boulders, raising his head above them whilst keeping his finger on the trigger. In the small clearing he could see a tent, one that was of unmistakably human design. A few metal containers were piled nearby while one armour-clad human male patrolled by the tent, rifle slung over his shoulder. He was outfitted in a greyish-brown suit of armour and he wore no helmet. His hair was a brownish-blonde and a cigarette stuck from the corner of his mouth, a thin trail of wispy smoke wafting from its end.

"How many?" Shepard asked the turian.

Garrus scanned the clearing for anymore signs of enemy contacts. The soldier with the cigarette stopped by the entrance to the tent, took the cigarette from his mouth and dropped it to the ground. With one boot-clad foot he crushed the burning embers into the dirt. From within the tent another similarly armoured human man walked out, this one with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. The pair saw each other and began talking rather loudly, completely oblivious to the presence of the three intruders who were watching them.

"Two," Garrus said a moment before another soldier walked into view. This one was also human and dressed in the same sort of armour as the others, although this human was female. Her blonde hair was tied back into a neat ponytail and an assault rifle was slung around one shoulder. She seemed to be the highest ranked one of the group, noticing with a scowl that the two men outside the tent were slacking off. She yelled something at them, Garrus could not quite hear what. The two men immediately stood to attention and broke from their conversation, returning to their assigned patrols.

"Three," Garrus said, ducking back down behind the rocks with Shepard. The Commander nodded and thought about what the best course of action was. There was no doubt that this was a mere guard post and that the excavation site was further on.

"We have to take these guys out quickly and quietly," Shepard said, "Otherwise they'll probably call for help. The last thing we need is every one of Colonel Sommer's goons in the area to know where we are."

"We've been in tougher situations," Garrus commented. He gave the turian equivalent of a smirk. Shepard seemed to agree, nodding slightly.

"Trouble is, the Colonel might try to escape if he gets wind of our approach," Shepard replied, "We know he has a shuttle."

"What if we're in the wrong place and this isn't the Colonel?" Garrus asked. There was always the possibility that they had come to the entirely wrong location, although there had been no other activity detected on the planet. The recent Geth presence on Virmire had effectively scared away the usual criminals that sought refuge on the tropical paradise, even if it had not scared away a rogue Cerberus agent and his loyal soldiers.

"It's the right place," Shepard replied, "It's just a feeling I have."

Garrus nodded, not too sure what he should think of Shepard's "feeling". She had been right about this sort of thing in the past but even so the turian could not quite shake the doubts he had.

Shepard looked over at Wrex.

"Wrex, you take out the one on the far right," Shepard ordered, "Garrus and I will take out the other two. You got that?"

"Yeah," the krogan said without looking over at them.

"Make sure you wait for my signal," Shepard added. Wrex looked only slightly annoyed to hear this, easing his grip on his shotgun momentarily.

Garrus brought himself up so that he could rest his rifle on top of the boulders. He peered down the gun-sight, the blue eye-piece he so often wore providing a few details on what lay in his view. He took aim the female soldier, keeping his rifle perfectly still. Shepard did the same thing and took aim at the soldier with the sniper rifle.

There was a silence between the three that lasted about a few seconds. To Garrus it felt a lot longer but the turian kept his aim on the female soldier, even as she started to move towards the tent. She would be inside in a few seconds, effectively taking her out of his line of sight. If they struck when she was inside the tent she might have the chance to set off an alarm or call for help and either possibility was not good news.

"Now," Shepard said.

Garrus pulled the trigger on his rifle and it buckled slightly in his grip. Even so the bullet, no larger than a pin, blasted forth from the barrel and slammed into the side of the female soldier's head. Her brains exploded out of the other side and her lifeless body crumpled into a heap on the ground, dark red blood staining the lush green grass underfoot. Wrex blasted the third soldier down with his shotgun, chunks beings blasted from the soldier's armour. Shepard fired a burst from her assault rifle and cut the other soldier down, his body twisting slightly and convulsing in a sort of dance of death before falling to the ground. The shootout was over in about five seconds.

Shepard, Garrus and Wrex walked into the open area, weapons raised as they scanned their immediate surroundings for hostiles. There were no more here so the trio relaxed and Shepard strolled over to the tent, peering inside. There was little else but a few sleeping mats and a container filled with spare ammunition and weapons.

Garrus stepped over to the female soldier he had felled, rolling her corpse over so that she was face-up. She had a glassy-eyed look on her face, having not been expecting anyone to show up and blow her brains out today. The turian quickly searched the compartments in her armour for anything useful, finding little but some sort of identification tag. However, there was the faint sound of a voice emanating from her comm unit so Garrus pulled the device out of her right ear. He held it up as the voice, a man's one, continued to demand a response.

"_Guard Post Alpha, are you there? Can you read me, over? This is base camp: Guard Post Alpha has dropped out of contact. All available units to investigate, over."  
_Garrus stood up and turned to face Shepard, throwing her the comm unit. She caught it with one hand and listened briefly to what was being said.

"So much for a stealthy approach," she said. Garrus shrugged.

"What do we do?" He asked, "We'll be having visitors any moment now."

"We press forwards," Wrex said, stepping over to where the pair were standing, "These guys are no match for us."

Garrus looked to Shepard for a proper response. She simply nodded in agreement with the krogan. Garrus saw little other option but to continue onwards, even if the enemy knew they were coming. As he had said before, they had been in tougher scrapes than this.

The trio passed through the clearing and into another rocky passage, following its winding trail deeper and deeper into the heart of the island they were on. Virmire did not have a lot of big continents like some worlds and instead had large groups of islands, some of which got flooded over when the tides were high. This particular island was probably not one of those, otherwise few people would have considered setting up a hideout right in the middle of it.

It was not long before a guard patrol was encountered: it consisted of a pair of similarly armoured soldier to the one at the guard post, both of these soldiers being human and male. Both were somewhat oblivious to the presence of the intruders up until the last second when the trio burst from cover and cut the pair down.

Whatever noise the gunfire created was enough for a distant alarm to sound. Garrus exchanged looks with Shepard but the turian could see she cared little about how they had been discovered: rather, she seemed to smile at the prospect of a full-blown firefight. Garrus found her enthusiasm infectious and could not help but give the turian equivalent of a smile as well. There were just three of them and God knew how many of these Cerberus goons: the goons did not stand a chance.

The trio continued onwards, finally arriving at what appeared to be the base camp of the Colonel's operation. There were walkways built through the passages and a gatehouse up ahead, beyond that was a compound comprised of mostly temporary metal structures. The excavation site was not quite in view yet but it was probably at the centre of the compound, surrounded by all sorts of digging equipment and temporary structures.

The shooting started as soon as the trio were headed for the gatehouse. A red beam lanced through the air, zooming out of the barrel of the sniper rifle carried by the guard on top of the gatehouse. It hit Shepard, leaving only a split second before the high-powered round followed along it.

There were a few guards standing outside of the gate and they had opened fire, rounds zipping through the air and pounding the dirt near the trio's feet. Garrus had little chance to react, throwing himself at Shepard and knocking her to the ground a mere fraction of a second before the high-powered round shot along the beam. It tore easily through the turian's kinetic barrier, slicing through the back part of his armour and slicing a gash through his skin underneath. He collapsed to the ground, landing on Shepard and feeling a burning pain in his upper back.

For a moment the pair lay there and Garrus was barely aware of the figure beneath him. Finally Shepard spoke, sounding a little strained as she did so.

"Thanks, Garrus," she said, "But you can get off of me now."  
Garrus broke out of his daze and simply smiled sheepishly, climbing off of the Commander and taking cover behind the nearest cluster of boulders. The gash along his back stung painfully while his left leg had begun to throb dully again. This was a sure indication that whatever painkillers he had taken before coming here had worn off.

Wrex had was firing away at the guards up ahead, having switched to an assault rifle to better cover the distance between him and the hostiles. He poured the rifle fire in the direction of the guards, forcing them behind whatever cover was available. The sniper on top of the gatehouse attempted to take a shot at the krogan but Wrex quickly shifted his aim up to the sniper, bullets pounding the railings in front of the sniper and forcing him to duck down.

Garrus reached into a compartment in his armour and pulled out the container of painkillers he had been copiously using. His left leg had really begun to hurt now and the turian was angered that it had started now, primarily because his injured leg would simply make it harder for him to fight to his full ability. He did not need it to impede his abilities now, of all times.

He flipped open the cap on the container, only for a bullet to ricochet off of the rock near his head and collide with the plastic. The container exploded and about two dozen painkiller capsules flew out and landed in the grass, along with miniscule pieces of broken plastic. Garrus swore in his native tongue rather loudly and bent down, trying to dig some of the capsules out of the grass. Some of them had already disappeared from sight but he did manage to dig up three. He brushed the dirt off of them and shoved them into his mouth.

Shepard had taken up a firing position just to his left, pouring assault rifle fire onto the guards at the gatehouse. By now the compound beyond had become fully alert, with more and more of Colonel Sommers' Cerberus goons flowing out of the tents and other temporary structures within the compound. The front gate opened and several more guards filed through, rifles firing.

Bullets pinged off of the rocks near Garrus, inciting the turian to duck down. He stuck his rifle up over the boulders, blindly firing at the guards up ahead. The weapon shook in his grip as he poured on inaccurate suppressing fire. He doubted he was hitting anything shooting like this but being accurate right now was not too liable an option.

Shepard removed a grenade disc from where it had been clipped onto her waist. She threw it in the direction of the gatehouse and the grenade attached itself to a few containers that were being used as cover by some of the guards. Without hesitation she remotely detonated the grenade, a large column of smoke and flame erupting forth from where the grenade had attached itself. The containers were blown apart and the few guards nearby were sent flying, slamming into nearby boulders and breaking bones. The other guards scattered, allowing the trio to get out from cover and advance further up the passage.

The sniper on top of the gatehouse came up from cover again, preparing to open fire. Garrus ducked as the familiar red beam that preceded the delivery of a high-powered sniper rifle shot zoomed over his head. The turian raised his assault rifle and pulled the trigger, spraying rifle fire across the sniper's position. The sniper spun slightly and then fell forwards, falling over the barrier and landing on the ground in a bloodied heap.

Shepard ducked behind a metal container as the remaining guards at the front resumed shooting, bullets pounded into the container's metal. Garrus started running for the nearest piece of cover, his rifle held up as he sprayed rifle rounds at the guards. He cut two of them down before he finally had enough speed to successfully slide along the grassy ground, coming to a stop behind a set of boulders. His kinetic barriers had since recovered from the sniper rifle round he had taken earlier and deflected the incoming assault rifle fire, although after a run like that they were significantly diminished on charge.

Wrex charged forwards until he had quite literally bumped into one of the guards. It did not take much effort for Wrex to knock the guard aside, sending him into the ground with considerable force after delivering a powerful blow with the butt end of his rifle. The krogan put away his rifle and brought out his shotgun, blasting away a guard that was stupid enough to start shooting in his direction. This guard went flying backwards a few feet from the force of taking a load of buckshot in the gut, hitting the front of the gatehouse and smashing through the window in its front. He disappeared from view, landing within the structure.

The way into the compound was open and the few guards left near the guardhouse had begun to fallback, yelling at each other to get moving. Garrus, Shepard and Wrex fired after the retreating guards. A few were cut down while others disappeared amongst the temporary structures. The compound was fairly large and took up a sizeable space on an open clearing. Above, thick grey clouds had begun to move into position over the reason, blotting out the sunlight and sending a dark shadow over the landscape.

The excavation site was visible, presenting itself as a large dug-out hole in the centre of the compound. Varieties of excavation equipment were scattered around it while a set of metal stairs had been constructed to present an easier way of getting to the bottom of the hole which was about twenty metres deep. Its sides revealed the ruins that had been revealed, all of them looking somewhat Prothean in nature. At the bottom were a few temporary structures as well as what was unmistakably an entrance into the heart of some sort of structure, one that had once been buried but had now been uncovered.

There were numerous guards scattered around the tents and shelters. Garrus raced into cover behind one of the metal shelters, crouching behind some metal containers as a pair of soldiers up ahead fired in his direction. The turian raised his rifle and fired on both soldiers, cutting them down with little trouble.

Shepard appeared at his right, firing away at a few guards who had taken cover by a tent up ahead. One of them spun and fell into the grass, blood splattering over the grey-white colour of the tent. Such an arrangement of colours gave the impression of an abstract work of art.

"Where's Wrex?" Shepard asked. Garrus glanced at her, finding this question to be a little odd.

"Aren't you supposed to keep track of him?" He asked.

"He's disappeared," Shepard replied.

"So what? He can look after himself," Garrus said. He cared little for the krogan and besides, what he said was true: Wrex could look after himself, even in a place filled with as many hostiles as this.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that," Shepard said. She ducked instinctively as several rounds pounded the top of the containers they were hiding behind. Shepard returned fire after a moment, cutting down a soldier up ahead.

A pair of the Colonel's goons came running by, rifles firing. Garrus mowed both of them down, their forward momentum sending them tumbling forwards a short distance. Garrus stood up and started further into the compound, sticking close to the side of the shelters and tents that took up most of the area. Shepard followed close by, the pair moving slowly and carefully towards the excavation.

A few soldiers ran out of a tent across from the pair. They scattered as soon as they saw the intruders, wildly firing their rifles as they ran for cover. Garrus mowed them all down as he moved towards the excavation, his kinetic barriers flaring as a few rounds came close to hitting him. Sometimes it was unavoidable to cross through open ground in a firefight, hence why it was best to be shielded in such a situation.

At the excavation a few guards came racing up the stairs. One of them stopped behind some crates and raised a sniper rifle, taking the time to bring Garrus into his sights. The turian saw him and delivered a few well-placed rounds that took out his shields. The last bullet hit him in the head, blowing a chunk of it away and sending him falling across the metal containers in front of him.

Garrus started jogging, Shepard following and watching behind as they moved. The turian cut down a few more of the guards up ahead, coming to where the man with the sniper rifle had fallen. Picking up the weapon, Garrus looked down into the excavation site and saw a few guards waiting down below, most in cover behind containers and barricades.

"Watch my back," Garrus told Shepard. The Commander nodded and the turian raised the sniper rifle, peering through the telescopic sight and placing a high-powered round in the face of one of the guards down in the excavation. Up ahead was the shuttle that had been tracked to this very location, indicating that this was the right place. It seemed likely that Colonel Sommers was down in the excavation somewhere, hoping that his armies of hopelessly outmatched goons got rid of the intruders.

Garrus shifted his aim to another of the guards, blowing him away with a well-placed shot as well. Each round hit home and Garrus was quick to eject the spent casing from within the weapon, each movement an almost natural reflex to him. The guards below had begun to open fire but Garrus was quick to eliminate them, systematically moving his aim from one to another and delivering one bullet into the heads of each.

Behind him Shepard had started shooting at some hostiles who had come from behind, hoping to catch the turian off-guard. She had little trouble in cutting the majority of them down, even as her kinetic barriers took a beating. Garrus moved forwards, taking aim at one of the last guards down below and blowing part of his head away. Shepard followed closely behind, keeping the fire poured onto the hostiles behind them.

Garrus started down the steps into the excavation site, moving slowly and keeping the sniper rifle raised as he moved. He saw a brief shadow of movement near one of the tents within the excavation site. He took aim and fired, watching as a guard fell out of hiding and hit the deck with a dull _thump!_

Shepard followed Garrus into the excavation, both of them breathing heavily as the adrenaline slowed. The firefight had all but ended, with barely any of the Colonel's guards left…at least, it certainly seemed that this was the case. Once again Shepard and her team had taken on an army and won.

There was a large tent at the base of the hole, one that could very well have been the command centre for the operation. Garrus glanced at Shepard who was a few paces behind him, nodding towards the door into the tent.

"I'm guessing that's the headquarters," he said. Shepard nodded in response, her rifle held at the ready as Garrus approached the entrance into the tent.

He was surprised when the flap opened and a small, spherical object was dropped outside. It took the turian a moment to actually realize what it was but by then it was too late as the flash bomb detonated a mere metre from where he stood. Garrus' vision was immediately taken up by blinding white light, as was Shepard's. He stumbled and fell onto the deck, barely aware of the people that stormed out of the tent. He did become aware of someone grabbing one arm, followed by someone else grabbing his other. He was lifted up as his vision cleared, bringing him face to face with Colonel Tiberius Sommers.

"Dumb turian asshole," the Colonel said, his voice thickly accented. Garrus was not familiar with human accents but Shepard knew that the Colonel's accent hinted at a Texas, perhaps Arkansas upbringing.

Sommers regarded Garrus briefly. The Colonel was dressed in his usual golden-brown trench-coat and dark trousers, the very outfit he had been in on the photo that Garrus had seen of him. Sommers seemed to think little of Garrus' presence and proved this by punching the turian in the face with enough force to knock him out.


	6. Colonel Sommers

**Chapter VI: Colonel Sommers**

"Give him a wake-up shot," the thickly accented American voice said. There was a faint hiss and stinging pain at the neck, followed by what felt like the energy of a thousand suns flowing through him. Garrus Vakarian's eyes shot open and he shouted involuntarily as the powerful wake-up drugs flowed through him. Something warm filled the lower part of his armour and it took him a moment to realize that he had wet himself.

Garrus' orange eye-piece had been removed, denying him the use of the heads-up display it provided. As the sudden burst of energy receded he looked around, trying to gather his bearings. The gash in his back throbbed painfully where the sniper round had scraped along. He was seated in a plastic chair, his hands bound behind him with what felt like high-strength rope. No matter how hard he tried to free himself the ropes did not budge. Whoever had tied them up had done an excellent job, leaving little room for Garrus to move his fingers.

He was inside some sort of brightly lit room, one that had no windows and an ancient looking door at the end. Metal containers were piled here and there while portable lights had been set up, hinting that he was inside whatever ancient Prothean structure had been unearthed. There were a few tables nearby, one of which carried his weapons and his orange eye-piece. There were a few other weapons with his equipment as well.

The walls of the room were a pale grey-blue colour, the interior of the ancient structure having been kept in pristine condition over countless millennia. It had been sealed from the outside up until the excavators had broken down the front door. To the end of the room was a short stumpy pillar, as if it had once carried something tall and important. It occurred to the turian that Saren would have had to have found the beacon he had kept in his base here on Virmire somewhere…Here, in this very Prothean structure, seemed a likely place. There was something else to the left side of the room that was different in its overall look, as if it was out of place within this pristine ancient building: There were two pillars, about two metres apart from one another. Both were a brownish-grey colour and both were covered in ancient alien symbols. On the farthest of the pillars was some sort of circular tile, one that had an oval sized slot in the centre. Around this centrepiece was an evenly spaced set of ten differing symbols, almost like an old-style human-built analogue clock. The pillars themselves were connected with the same floor-piece. The sides of the pillars that faced one another were noticeably rough, with a distinct gap etched down their height.

Garrus shifted his gaze towards the humans who stood ahead of him. One was Colonel Sommers, in his trench-coat and with a cigar sticking from the corner of his mouth. A thin trail of smoke wafted up from the tip while Sommers eyed the turian carefully. On either side he was flanked by an armed Cerberus commando. Stepping back from Garrus was another commando, this one putting away an empty injector which was an indication that he had been the one to wake up the turian.

Sommers' gaze was a mix of bemusement and annoyance. He took the cigar from his mouth, blew some smoke and then shifted his gaze to someone else to Garrus' right. The turian followed his gaze and saw that Commander Kate Shepard was tied down to a chair next to him. She was busy struggling futilely against the ropes while some sort of metal collar had been put around her neck.

"Don't try that biotic bullshit, Commander," Sommers announced, "That collar that's around your neck…It's a neural suppressor. Specifically designed to ensure badass biotics are unable to use their powers." Sommers gave a smile as the Commander shot him an agitated glance.

Garrus realized that he and Shepard were in a bit of a tough spot. There was some hope though, especially since Sommers had not actually killed them. Instead, he had brought them down here…what for, Garrus did not know. It seemed plausible that Sommers was simply going to gloat and rant on about how good he was. Looking at him, Garrus could see that Sommers seemed to be the kind of guy who would do that.

There were two more Cerberus goons standing by the door up ahead, both of them holding their rifles at their chests and standing guard, alert to all that was happening around them. Sommers regarded the turian and the Commander carefully, taking a step towards Shepard and looking down at her with a slight smirk.

"Well, it's the great Commander Shepard," Sommers said aloud and to no one in particular, "The first human Spectre, the saviour of all life in the galaxy…You're a bit of a celebrity. If this were different circumstances I might have asked for your autograph, but since you're here, in the position you're in now…well, if I wanted your autograph I'd have to untie you so that you could actually write it down." Sommers smiled in a rather condescending manner. Shepard frowned with irritation towards the man's sheer nerve but said nothing. "I'm not untying you, Commander…Not a chance in hell. Not yet, anyway." He took a step back from her and turned to Garrus.

It was then that Garrus realized that Wrex was missing. Sure, the krogan had disappeared during the firefight in the compound but that was not much of a surprise. However, what struck Garrus now was the fact that Wrex was nowhere to be seen. Sommers had not even hinted that he knew of the krogan's existence and this brought some hope into situation. Garrus just needed to keep his mouth shut about the krogan and hope that he, or someone else, arrived to help out. Sommers could gloat all he wanted in the meantime.

"I'm not familiar with you," Sommers said, frowning, "I've met a fair few turians in my lifetime but you…I don't recognize. I thought I saw you on the news with Shepard last week, but other than that you're an unknown. Tell me, turian: what's your name?"

Garrus looked up, finding Sommers' narrow, inquisitive stare to be somewhat irritating. The turian swallowed and decided that it was perhaps best to keep the Colonel talking. Help would come, Garrus was certain of it.

"Don't tell him anything," Shepard interjected before Garrus had a chance to speak. Sommers shot her an annoyed glance but Shepard was unfazed. The Colonel pointed an accusing finger towards her, his voice taking on an angered tone.

"Don't be a bitch, Commander," Sommers said sternly, "You've already caused enough trouble for one day. For starters, you seem to think that you can simply waltz into _my_ operation and fuck it all up. Well, I have news for you, Shepard: You can't do that. You can't interfere with what I'm doing. You can't _touch_ me. You did come here to apprehend me, didn't you?" Sommers frowned and stood upright, momentarily losing interest in Garrus and gazing at Shepard sternly. "The excavation means little to you, doesn't it? You just want me for whatever reason you've been given. Who sent you after me? The Alliance? The Turian Empire? No, what about the salarians? I've pissed them off as well, on more than one occasion. I would have thought that the Council had sent you but they're dead, so they couldn't really have done that, could they? You did kill them, after all…in a way. The Alliance fleet could have saved them but you decided to get rid of that pesky Council, didn't you?" Sommers seemed to be ranting now, although he did not seem crazy. Instead, he looked thoughtful as he spoke about the Commander's actions. "I have to say…good move. Us humans will be ruling the galaxy in no time at all."

"My brother," Garrus interrupted, getting the Colonel's attention. Sommers swivelled around and looked questioningly at the turian. "You killed him…at least, that's what I'm thinking happened to him."

"Your brother?" Sommers shook his head. "I've killed a lot of turians in the course of my career. How about you tell me your name and maybe I could work out what turian you're referring to?"

Garrus paused, glancing over at Shepard. She did not seem to disapprove of telling the Colonel his name, nor did she seem to approve. Instead, she looked indifferent. Her eyes betrayed the anger burning within her, though.

"My name's Garrus Vakarian," the turian replied.

"Vakarian?" Sommers paused for a moment, thinking. Suddenly, he nodded. "Yes, I knew another Vakarian. Kynarus Vakarian, a washed out turian mercenary. Was he your brother?"

Garrus simply nodded, swallowing as he tried to contain the rage that was building inside of him. So Colonel Sommers did know his brother? No doubt he had had something to do with Kynarus' death. Garrus was not about to jump to conclusion and so let the Colonel keep talking. Besides, Colonel Sommers seemed to like the sound of his own voice.

"Ah, I know you," Sommers said, "You're _the _Garrus Vakarian. You were with Shepard when you saved the Citadel from Saren and his Geth minions. Why, congratulations…You're doing an awful lot of good for a C-Sec officer, ain't you?"

"I'm not with C-Sec anymore," Garrus replied. It was obvious Sommers thought little of Citadel Security. Then again, Sommers did not seem to think highly of a lot of things.

"Good for you," Sommers added, smiling. He patted the turian on the shoulder. Garrus shifted uneasily in his seat, his annoyance towards this human growing immeasurably. What he would not do for a chance to shut him up.

"C-Sec's filled with overpaid, self-righteous assholes," Sommers continued, "Otherwise known as 'cops'. If you had still been a cop, I might have killed you. But since you're doing some good along with Shepard here…well, I can't complain, can I?"

"My brother," Garrus said, deciding to actually get to the point rather than let Sommers keep ranting, "You hired him and yet you and your Cerberus people went after him. Why? What did he do?"

Sommers frowned. He seemed to think carefully about this for a moment or two, taking a step back from Garrus and surveying what was on the table ahead. It was now that Garrus saw the dented and scratched metal suitcase lying upon the table. Sommers grabbed the handle of this suitcase with one hand, lifting it up so the case stood on its base. On the side was printed the alphanumeric designation 'BMH-0018'. Garrus was at first confused as to what the purpose of the suitcase was but he had the feeling Sommers would be elaborating on it soon enough. He was not mistaken.

"I was assigned by my superior to collect this package here," Sommers said, turning around as he picked the suitcase up off of the table. It did not seem to be heavy, evident with the ease that he picked it up. "However, by the time I got close to finding it I was beginning to tire of my place in Cerberus. My boss, he did not seem to think very highly of me despite all the great work I had done for the organization. To be precise, I was getting quite pissed off with his somewhat nonchalant and disrespectful attitude towards me."

"Who's your boss?" Shepard asked. She tried the ropes at her hands again but to no avail. Sommers glanced towards her, frowning slightly as the question registered in his mind.

"Don't worry about who he is, Commander," Sommers replied, "You'll find out in due time. He's already taken an interest in you and the work you've been doing, so chances are you'll meet eventually." He paused, leaving Shepard slightly confused. She did not press the matter further and thus Sommers was given an excuse to keep talking.

"You see, I knew that no man or organization alone should be allowed access to the power of what's within this suitcase," Sommers said, gesturing to the metal case he held in his left hand, "I decided to claim it for myself so I could get rid of it. This, you could say, was when I broke away from Cerberus. Usually quitting an organization like that is only possible if you're dead…I don't intend on dying just yet. Rather than bring unnecessary attention to myself, I hired a washed-out nonhuman mercenary to get this special package for me since I had a lead on its whereabouts."

"That mercenary was my brother," Garrus said. Things were only just beginning to fall into place now.

Sommers nodded at Garrus' deduction before continuing, his tone level and thoughtful:

"Yes, that mercenary was Kynarus Vakarian. He was able to get me the package but not before I had incurred the wrath of rivals and not before the mercenary had become a liability. I decided to kill him, if only to ensure that he would not tell of what I was doing to my rivals. The chase was a long and quite frantic one but eventually I found him, killed him and found the package. Now I'm here, in a place that Saren had uncovered but had forgotten about when he had found the beacon."

Garrus felt his heart skip a beat when Sommers delivered the details. He had killed his brother? That bastard was not going to get away with it. Garrus suddenly knew that he needed to kill Sommers, if only to wipe that annoying grin from the human's face.

"Down here is the means I and my followers intend on using to get away from Cerberus for good," Sommers said, "And with it we will be able to remove the package from their grasp. It is very likely my boss has uncovered my treachery and is sending people to investigate. I would not be surprised if there are informers on board your ship."

"Informers on the _Normandy_?" Shepard said, frowning, "You have got to be kidding."

"I don't joke much," Sommers replied. He puffed on his cigar before dabbing out the smoking end into an ashtray on the table near him.

Garrus looked around but could see no evidence of any sort of thing that might help Sommers get away from Cerberus. The room seemed rather empty of any useful devices and such. The ancient Prothean panels did not appear to be functioning, especially after about fifty thousand years of inactivity.

"So you killed my brother because you were afraid he'd dob you in?" Garrus asked. He shook his head, unable to quite believe what he was hearing. "You're a ruthless bastard…"

"Are we so different then, Garrus?" Sommers asked, raising an eyebrow. Garrus fell silent only because he knew that Sommers had a point: Garrus had no qualms with killing and he had happily blasted Dr. Saleon down. He could remember the terrified look on the salarian's face before Garrus had blown it clean off with a shotgun. Shepard had been right there with him and she had commended him for doing it. She had showed him that people like Dr. Saleon did not deserve to live after all they had done. And people like Colonel Sommers were no different.

"Commander Shepard isn't renowned for her sympathy," Sommers continued, smirking as he saw the turian take on a more subdued demeanour, "She is the Butcher of Torfan after all. From what I've heard of you, Garrus, you seemed to be taking after her. Then again, I can't really be sure since I've heard only vague stories of your recent actions."

"You killed my brother," Garrus said, his tone laced with venom, "And for that, I'll kill you."

Sommers was unfazed. Instead, he kept his gaze mostly neutral leaned forwards, gazing straight into Garrus' eyes.

"Just in case you haven't happened to notice, Garrus," Sommers said, "You're a captive of _me_. You are at my mercy. And keep talking yourself up like that and I might need to put a gag in your mouth or something."

"Why don't you just kill me?" Garrus asked. Sommers contemplated the notion for a few seconds, nodding his head as he thought about it. Garrus noticed that Sommers seemed to be agreeing with him about it.

"I don't like to kill in cold blood," Sommers said, "And besides, rather than kill you now I can have you at my mercy for a little while. I can do what I please to you and I shall face no consequences because of it. I think that's a lot better than simply killing somebody, don't you think?"

Sommers seemed to be relishing the thought of having people at his mercy. It was a hint that he had a bit of a sick mind, perhaps just a side effect of having worked for such a ruthless organization for so long. He must have been in the business for a long time, especially if he was a Colonel. Ex-Alliance marine apparently, although one could not really tell this much by looking at him.

"When you've been in Cerberus for as long as I have, you learn a few things," Colonel Sommers continued, "You learn that you're going to have to kill a lot of people. I have no problems with doing that and neither do you or the Commander. You and the Commander have probably slaughtered more pirates, smugglers and mercenaries than anyone else ever has. In fact, some could say that I am morally superior than you two, because I only kill when absolutely necessary. Killing you two outside would have denied me the chance to meet and greet the great Commander Shepard and one of her alien buddies."

"You're saying that you're morally superior to us?" Garrus asked. Sommers seemed to be quite sure in what he was saying. He seemed to genuinely believe in the crap he had been dishing out and maybe, just maybe it was not all crap. Maybe there was some truth to it, although this particular thought only occurred in a less vivid part of Garrus' mind. The turian frowned when the thought did appear. Colonel Sommers was just another bad guy loose in the galaxy, one who needed to be put down.

"I _am_ morally superior to you and the Commander," Sommers replied, "And I don't need to argue about it because I don't go around killing people for no reason. When I kill someone there is always a very valid reason behind it."

"Like why you killed my brother?"

"He knew too much about what I was doing," Sommers said, "Such knowledge lead him to Earth where the package was located. I followed him, took him out and got the package. Simple as that."

"So, the reasons you have for killing people can be as simple as you want them to be?" Garrus shook his head. "That's pathetic."

"You're only saying that because you know I'm better than you," Sommers replied, "So quit being a whiny little turian asshole and let me finish speaking."

For once Garrus needed Wrex's help. He had never thought he would actually be wishing for the krogan's help but this was a unique circumstance: he had actually been captured and was being subjected to annoying talk from a self-righteous human Colonel who thought he was sophisticated in the way he killed only the people he needed to kill. Wrex should have come by now and busted them out…yet the krogan had disappeared from the face of the planet. It seemed unlikely that he as dead, otherwise Sommers would have gloated about it. Killing a krogan was no easy task and was certainly something one could gloat about.

"What's in the suitcase?" Shepard asked, breaking her silence. Sommers looked towards her, his face creasing into a slight frown. His gaze met with hers and he shook his head, a smile appearing at his mouth.

"Nah-uh," he said as he shook his head, "I ain't telling you, Commander. If you found out what was inside this suitcase you'd want it for yourself…you'd exploit it."

"If it's so dangerous, why don't you destroy it?" Garrus asked.

"Such an action could have tremendous consequences," Sommers replied, shifting his gaze back towards Garrus, "That's why I intend to simply get rid of it as well as manage a quiet retirement at the same time. I'm going to go far away, far enough away for Cerberus to never find me. And that ain't an easy feat, mind you. Cerberus is everywhere, after all. Even on your ship."

There could not be spies on the _Normandy_, could there? It seemed improbable and yet Sommers was quite serious in the way he was announcing these facts. Spies on board the _Normandy_…Cerberus spies at that. This organization was definitely a greater threat than he had first thought. It seemed funny how Colonel Sommers could be trying to save himself when the galaxy had only just recently been saved from imminent destruction. Such an occurrence should have helped bring all the races of the galaxy together and yet Cerberus was still up to its old tricks and there were still people looking out for themselves, Colonel Sommers included.

"So, what the hell is down here that could possibly help you get away from Cerberus?" Shepard asked, her voice laced with annoyance, "Because I don't see any sort of magic device capable of making someone disappear. If there was, I'd have recommended you to use it. Your voice is beginning to get on my nerves."

"Quit being such a bitch, Commander," Sommers said bluntly, "It's not like you're beginning to annoy me as well. Honestly, you keep that shit up and I'll happily blow your head off."

"What do you intend to do with us?" Garrus asked. Where the hell was Wrex? He should be down here, helping them to bust out and get away from the Colonel.

"I'm still thinking about that," Sommers said, "Although I was thinking of leaving you here so your buddies on the _Normandy_ could come and pick you up. By the time that happens I'll be long gone, as will my loyal troops. The only information you'll be able to deliver to your friends is that I've gone and I'm not going to come back."

"Where are you going?" Shepard looked exhausted for some reason. It was probably a side effect of the neural suppressor collar she had been forced to wear. She was probably trying hard to get her biotic abilities going but with that collar on she was only wearing herself out. There were no strange ripples in the air around her, no glowing blue hazes seemingly forming out of thin air near her…Shepard did not tend to use her biotics as often as she could, instead relying on quick and brutal force to take down her opponents, usually with shotguns and the like.

"Why the hell would I tell you where I'm going?" Sommers asked, surprised, "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I was born yesterday?"

"Yeah," Garrus said simply. Sommers shot an angered look towards him but did nothing else.

Over by the doorway there was movement. The guards did not notice it immediately but Garrus saw it, as did Shepard. It was Wrex and the krogan had crept into position by the doorway, his shotgun raised as he peeked into the room. He noticed Shepard and Garrus but did not concentrate on them, instead he seemed more concerned with the guards standing by the doorway.

Sommers glanced at the old style watch he wore around his left wrist, oblivious to the krogan's presence. He looked up, smiling broadly.

"Well, it looks like the time I scheduled myself to leave for abroad is coming up," he said. With his right hand he reached into a pocket within his coat, retrieving a teardrop shaped object that matched the colour scheme on the two pillars to the left of the room. The object was marked with ancient symbols, hinting that it was Prothean in origin.

"This is a little something I picked up from a Cerberus lab," Sommers said, noticing Shepard's and Garrus' interest in the item, "It's funny, though. No one there actually knows what it's for. I did some research and traced it back here, although at that time Saren had his Geth secure this area pretty tight. Once they left about a week ago I only had to move in with my loyal troops and set up shop. No hassle in doing that at all."

Garrus watched as Sommers started towards the pillar with the circular plate upon it. Wrex ducked back behind the doorway to avoid being spotted by the Colonel. Garrus exchanged glances with Shepard. She spoke quietly to him, making sure the nearby armed goons could not hear.

"Once we're free, you go for the Colonel," Shepard whispered, "I'll take out his thugs."

Garrus nodded. He wanted to get the Colonel more than ever, especially after the revelation that yes, the Colonel had killed the turian's brother. It seemed only logical to enact some payback on the smug human.

Smmers put the teardrop shaped object into the space in the centre of the circular plate on the pillar. It fit into the spot perfectly and immediately the circular plate lit up, the symbols on its outer edge glowing a bright blue. The quiet hum of a power source could be heard as the Prothean computers within the room began to power up. All heads turned to watch what Sommers was doing.

Slowly, he turned the teardrop shaped "key" so that the pointed end stopped in place at one of the symbols. This symbol glowed a red before some mechanism inside the pillar resounded loudly throughout the room with a loud _ka-choonk!_ He shifted the teardrop shaped key once more, locking in another symbol. It appeared to Garrus that he was working some sort of ancient combination lock. Wrex was leaning slightly around the doorway, watching and waiting for the Colonel to finish what it was he was doing.

Finally, after engaging six of the eight symbols Sommers stepped back. He removed the teardrop shaped key stone from the circular plate, just as a shimmering yellow haze filled the space between the two pillars. It cleared up, becoming a near transparent yellow screen. It could have been holographic but it was hard to tell, especially since it was providing a view of a sunny grassy meadow, yellowed out in colour but still very convincing in appearance. The transparency of the incredibly realistic image did provide a view of the wall behind the yellow screen. Sommers stepped back and admired his handiwork for a moment. He glanced towards Shepard and Garrus, smiling as he did so while he slipped the teardrop shaped keystone into his jacket.

"Well, I have to say…It was nice meeting you two. I have to leave now, so…" Sommers was noticeably gloating up until Wrex stepped into the room, shotgun raised.

The two guards by the doorway had little chance to react as the krogan walked in. Wrex struck with one powerful elbow the guard to his right, knocking the wind out of him and sending him slamming against the wall. The other soldier turned around and was about to open fire but Wrex simply kicked him in the gut, sending the soldier flying a few feet before hitting a table and knocking it over. Ancient data recording devices fell onto the floor, their fragile crystal structures shattering and quite literally destroying thousands of years of Prothean history.

Sommers looked surprised and was even more so when Wrex blasted him in the chest with the shotgun. Sommers fell backwards, the mysterious suitcase still clutched in his left hand as he went down. He groaned as he hit the floor yet there seemed to be little blood despite the fact he had just taken a whole load of buckshot to the gut.

The other soldier in the room raised his rifle to open fire but Wrex was quicker on the trigger, squeezing off a shot that shattered the visor on the soldier's helmet and sprayed his brains out of the back of his head. This soldier fell at Garrus' feet.

Garrus had to wait a moment for Wrex to free him of the ropes. The krogan freed Shepard first, removing the neural suppressor collar off of her and tossing it to the side. Wrex reluctantly helped Garrus free of the ropes, allowing the turian to stand up and flex his aching arms. Sommers had begun to rise onto his feet, looking extremely annoyed.

It was now or never that Garrus had a chance to get even for his brother's death and put down Colonel Sommers. He stepped over to the Colonel and pulled him onto his feet. Sommers seemed unharmed by the shotgun blast that had connected with him. Garrus saw that the Colonel was wearing some sort of armour vest under his jacket and such a discovery explained why the Colonel had survived taking a load of buckshot in the chest.

The transparent yellow and seemingly real-time image that took up the two metre space between the pillars was beginning to fade. Sommers saw this and desperation creased his features. Before Garrus had a chance to pin the Colonel against the nearest wall, the annoying human had pulled out his sidearm: an old style Magnum revolver, now fitted with a few modern day attachments.

Garrus let go of the Colonel when he saw the weapon raised, only just sidestepping the Colonel's shot. The gunshot itself was deafening within such an enclosed space. Sommers stepped back and started towards the yellow holographic image, the suitcase still clutched in his left hand and the Magnum gripped tightly in his right. He waved the gun in Shepard and Wrex's directions, a crazed look appearing on his features.

"Stay the fuck back!" He yelled. Garrus was not about to give up now, not when the Colonel was vulnerable. Without thought he charged at the Colonel, slamming into him just as he was turning to Garrus. The revolver fired off into the air wildly as both Sommers and Garrus went flying into the yellow holographic image.

Upon touching it there was a strange tingling sensation and a brilliant white flash. The cool air around Garrus immediately changed to something warmer and the smell of dirt and flowers hit his nostrils. Colonel Sommers was lost from his grip as Garrus hit the ground painfully, finding himself face down in thick grass. Dazed and confused he simply remained lying where he was, trying to work out what had just happened.

Shepard and Wrex had just watched Garrus and Sommers disappear into thin air. The holographic image disappeared once they had touched it as well and the glowing blue symbols on the second pillar faded. Shepard ran towards the gap between the pillars but to no avail: the image was gone and behind it was the wall that had always been behind it. Garrus was gone, as was Colonel Sommers.

"Garrus!" Shepard shouted, looking around the room for any sign of the turian, "Garrus!" The turian was gone, having disappeared into thin air. Shepard raced out of the room in the hopes of finding the turian, but there was no sign of him.

Shepard would not find either Garrus Vakarian or Colonel Sommers on Virmire. The pair had gone in an instant, leaving no evidence as to how this had occurred. Wrex watched the human Commander closely as she desperately searched the nearby rooms and finally the compound on the surface. To him, her reactions seemed to indicate that she cared a lot about the turian. Still, he cared little about it and simply followed her around as she spent the next hour searching the compound and surrounding plains. By the time they were done Wrex was quite certain that Garrus was nowhere to be found.


	7. Stranded

**Chapter VII: Stranded**

Garrus Vakarian found himself face down in thick, smelly grass. His eyes had filled with dirt and his head buzzed lightly, as if his very senses had been shaken about profoundly. His entire body seemed to tingle strangely, as if energy had coursed through it, almost like some sort of minor electric shock. He groaned, more because he was annoyed at how his situation could very well have become even more complicated than it already had been. What the hell had just happened?

Wrex had barged into the room, krogan style. He had killed the few of Colonel Sommers' goons that had been within the room before freeing both Shepard and Garrus. However, Sommers had gotten up and had started for the yellowish hazy real-time image of the meadow that had been projected between the two pillars…Garrus had lunged at the Colonel, throwing the two of them against the holographic projection. At least, it had appeared to be some sort of holographic projection. What the hell else could it have been?

Well, for starters Garrus was no longer inside the ancient Prothean structure. Instead he was lying face down in a grassy meadow and as he rolled onto his back he was able to look up at a crystal blue sky, one streaked with high altitude clouds. There was the distant buzz of insects and call of birdlife. Up high was a bright yellow sun, one that was positioned in such a way that this planet had developed into a Palaven-like paradise. It was a cross between the turian home-world and Earth, being hot yet lacking the tropical features prominent on a world like Palaven. Garrus sat up and looked around, finding that he was indeed dead centre in the middle of some sort of meadow. It was surrounded on all sides by thick jungle, the canopies high and dense. Within those dark jungle shadows very little sunlight pierced through. Out on the meadow the sun bathed the ground and the turian sitting up in the middle of it. Garrus was left trying to work out what the hell had happened to bring him here.

It had something to do with that holographic projection, he was sure of it. He was about to activate his trademark orange eyepiece when he realized that he was not wearing it, having left it in the room back at the Prothean structure. That eyepiece could have provided some details on where he was and what had happened to bring him here. He knew it had something to do with that holographic projection, _if_ it had been a holographic projection. Sommers had been the one to activate it so maybe he had some answers.

Garrus became aware of another presence on the ground near him. Turning his head he saw Colonel Sommers lying somewhat dazed on the ground nearby, his left hand still gripping the mysterious suitcase while his right hand was holding his Magnum revolver. Sommers sat up, looking around with what appeared to be a smile on his face. When he saw Garrus that smile faded.

Sommers had answers, Garrus could tell that much. Rising to his feet Garrus stepped towards the Colonel, determined to get some information out of the Colonel. After that Garrus might consider killing him, although the turian was already beginning to doubt the necessity of such an action. Here he was, stuck in some unknown place with no weapons and only Colonel Sommers for company. Garrus had a feeling he would need the Colonel's help in order to get out of this situation, even if the turian did not like the thought of this in any way at all.

Sommers sat up and began to shuffle away from the oncoming turian, moving himself back along the grass like a frightened dog. He stopped after he had covered a few metres and held up his Magnum revolver threateningly, waving it in the turian's direction.

"Stay back, lizard boy," Sommers said.

"Lizard boy?" Garrus raised an eyebrow ridge as he stopped before the Colonel, bemuse towards the insult. "Do I look like a lizard to you?"

"Yeah, now back off," Sommers replied. He stood up, keeping the weapon trained on Garrus. The turian eyed it carefully: the Magnum revolver may have been outdated but it had been modified as such to become an effective heavy pistol. It would have little trouble in busting a hole through Garrus' armour.

Garrus had no weapons on him since they had all been confiscated by the Colonel. It angered him to think that he was stuck here facing the Colonel _without a gun_. Yet, Colonel Sommers had one and thus was at a far greater advantage. Garrus did value his life and was not about to die in some meadow on some planet that did not at all look like Virmire…Judging by his surroundings, Garrus figured that he was no longer on Virmire. Whatever had happened within that Prothean structure had taken him somewhere. How this had happened was beyond him but he did think that bad luck might have something to do with it. Of all the possibilities and here he was, in some place God only knew where faced with a lunatic Cerberus Colonel with a gun. Where was Shepard or Wrex for that matter? They had been in the room as well. Couldn't they have simply followed Garrus and Sommers through whatever means had brought them to this place?

"Where are we, Colonel?" Garrus asked, his gaze narrowed in annoyance. To think he was stuck with Colonel Sommers for company…well, he would need to do something about that. Killing him came to mind almost immediately.

Sommers took a look around, that smile he had had earlier returning. He seemed delighted at what had happened, implying that coming to wherever this was had been his plan all along. That may explain why he had had the means to activate the holographic projection…if that was what it had been. Garrus somehow doubted it had been a mere "projection". The thought occurred to him that it might have been some sort of teleportation device, perhaps a portal. However, he doubted this since that sort of technology did not exist…did it?

"Where are we?" Sommers returned his gaze to the turian, smiling broadly. Garrus found this smile quite annoying but remained still, especially since Sommers was still pointing the gun at him. "Where are we, Garrus? Why, we're in a safe haven." This rather cryptic answer only fuelled Garrus' annoyance and the turian stepped forwards, taking the Colonel by surprise.

Garrus grabbed the Colonel's gun wielding hand, pushing it up so that the weapon pointed harmlessly skywards. With his free hand he delivered a sharp blow into the Colonel's jaw, one that made the human stumble backwards. It was satisfying to see the Colonel's surprised and a rather pained expression as he fell onto his knees with the turian standing over him.

"Give me a straight answer," Garrus said, looking down at Colonel Sommers. He kept his left hand in a strong grip at the Colonel's gun wielding hand, squeezing the fingers there until the faint cracking sound of bones could be heard. Sommers' face screwed up into one of pain and he dropped the Magnum revolver. Garrus, managing the slightest of turian grins, eased his grip on the Colonel's right hand.

"I have no hard feelings against you, turian," Sommers said, his tone level but somewhat strained, "Just quit acting like such an asshole and let me go. Maybe then I might tell you the answers you want."

Garrus thought about this for a moment. He could not help but feel some anger at his predicament, primarily because the Colonel was to blame for bringing him here. Whatever he had done back at that Prothean structure…well, it had brought them both here somehow. It had all happened so quickly that Garrus could not quite remember what had happened, he could simply recall lunging at the Colonel and sending them both into the holographic projection. The holographic projection between the two pillars had something to do with it, as did the circular plate the Colonel had operated with the teardrop shaped stone prior to the projection's activation.

Garrus let the Colonel's hand go. The Colonel flexed the fingers there and frowned in irritation, looking up at the turian. Whatever good mood he had been in had gone now, leaving him with that usually neutral look on his face. Sommers frowned and picked up his Magnum revolver, sliding it back into the holster at his waist. This was an indication that he was not planning on killing the turian…at least not yet, anyway.

"Again, Colonel: Where the hell are we?" Garrus asked. He was beginning to tire of the delays between the Colonel's responses. The human gave him a sour look and shrugged.

"Whereabouts in the galaxy, I haven't a clue," Sommers replied, "But I do know we're on what I like to call a 'safe haven'. I know it's far from any sort of galactic civilization and that any sort of contact with the outside is impossible. The research I did on this planet indicates that it is far out on the outer verges of the galaxy. You could say that from Virmire we came all the way across the galaxy to end up here. And that's a hell of a long way in one second, huh?"

Garrus simply felt more anger when he heard this. He was stranded on a far away planet with only Colonel Sommers for company. He had not asked for this to happen and it had not been something he had been expecting. To think that he had to put up with Sommers' company until he figured out a way to get off of this rock…it was almost too much to bear. As a result Garrus clenched his right hand into a fist, thinking that he could beat on the Colonel a little more if only to make himself feel better.

"Is there a way off of this rock?" Garrus asked. He remembered the transponder that each member of the crew of the _Normandy_ had implanted just at the under the skin of the right forearm. It allowed them to be traced from light years of distance. However, if Sommers was right about how far away they were from galactic civilization…well, rescue was unlikely. And this simply angered Garrus even more.

"A way off?" Sommers shook his head, smiling when he saw Garrus' pissed off expression. "The idea was that I would not need to find a way to get off of this planet. You see, this world was supposed to be a safe haven accessible to only a select few. Sort of like Ilos, just less of a science facility and more of a peaceful little paradise. You do remember what was on Ilos, don't you?"

"How could you know about Ilos?"

"Ceberus knows a lot of things about what you and Shepard have done," Sommers replied, "Why wouldn't we know? Now, remember that on Ilos there was all those Prothean stasis pods?"

Garrus could remember this quite well since he had had only been on Ilos about a week ago. He could remember the ancient computer, Vigil, providing an account of what had happened during the Reaper invasion and giving Shepard the means to prevent it from happening again.

"Well, this 'safe haven' is sort of the same deal," Sommers said, "Except these Protheans…They gave up on technology. They're an agrarian society, creating a home away from home. Hopefully they've prospered in the last fifty thousand years or so."

Garrus could not quite believe what he was hearing. The Protheans were here, on this world? It was absurd. They were all dead, the Reapers had wiped them out. The Reapers, being as technologically advanced as they had seemed, probably would have had little trouble in finding out about this planet and destroying the Prothean society here. Garrus took a look around, unable to find any sign of any agrarian society. In fact, as far as he could tell he and Sommers were the only people here. The holographic projection between the two pillars had taken them both here but there was no visible means in the meadow that could take them back. It was a one way trip by the look of it.

"I have one of the few last remaining invitations," Sommers said, pulling out the tear-drop shaped device he had used to manipulate the circular plate on one of the pillars back at the Prothean structure, "You see, only select Protheans were allowed to come here and even then they had to acquire one of these little invitations, as well as the correct combination to manipulate the portal…"

"Portal?"

"Yes, it's all rather fascinating, isn't it?" Sommers asked, his eyes brightening somewhat as he said this. "Chances are the Protheans here have prospered and should have a medieval style community around here somewhere, perhaps even some slightly more advanced technology that they might have developed over the last fifty thousand years. I intend to pay them a visit and hopefully earn a place within their society so I can live out the rest of my days in a quiet retirement. And here the item inside the suitcase will never be found by anyone." Sommers held up the metal suitcase and frowned when he saw Garrus' annoyed look.

"You, on the other hand, are an unexpected addition to my plan," Sommers said, "But since we're both here we should try and make the most of it. Chances are we're going to need to help each other…"

"You bastard," Garrus said, seething with anger. To think that the life he knew before, the one where he served alongside Commander Shepard and the crew of the _Normandy_, was over…It enraged him. He was not about to give up his old life, the one he knew just because of the actions of some obviously crazy human. He was not about to forget about Commander Shepard, not after the things they had done together. He still had a place by her side and he was not going to give it up. He was not going to give up any part of his old life, not for any reason. No matter what he would pull through this, he would find the means to get back to galactic civilization.

"Even if there are Protheans here," Garrus said, only just containing his ever-increasing rage, "What makes you think you'll be able to just walk in and make yourself at home? These Protheans, if they really are on this planet, have probably never seen a human before, or a turian for that matter. You won't be accepted…"

Sommers shrugged. He tapped then suitcase he held in his left hand carefully, smiling as he did so. He seemed less concerned about the reaction the surviving Protheans would have, although Garrus doubted very much that they had survived all of this time. The Reapers would have found them eventually and wiped them out. Those Reapers had been very thorough in their extermination, hence why it was so vital that they were not allowed to repeat the process on current galactic society.

"I came here to get away from Cerberus and ensure they never got what was inside this suitcase," he said, "So what if the Protheans here can't stand the sight of me? I can live by myself, build a little hut and become a sort of hermit. I don't mind that sort of retirement at all, especially since the technology-driven galactic society we both lived in previously was simply beginning to get too much for me. Everyone is in such a hurry nowadays that they don't stop and survey their surroundings, to take a break from it all, you know? That's what this place will be good for: a nice little break for the remainder of my life."

"Sounds really exciting," Garrus said through clenched teeth. Sommers did look genuinely serious about it, living his life out as a hermit if he had to. However, he did seem to be betting on the fact that whatever Prothean society remained on this world would welcome him with open arms.

"And I won't be entirely alone," Sommers said. It took Garrus a moment to realize who he was referring to. The turian swallowed and had to steel himself from punching the Colonel across the face. Did he seriously think that Garrus would simply remain on this far away world and live out the rest of his life as some sort of nature-loving woodsman? The Colonel obviously could not see the anger the turian showed in his crystal blue eyes…or he was just ignoring it. Either possibility simply added to Garrus' annoyance.

"I don't intend on staying here," Garrus said, "I'm going to find a way off of this rock, regardless of what you want me to do. Spending the rest of my life living in the jungle and eating leaves isn't exactly what I had envisioned for myself."

"Quit being such a sourpuss," Sommers said. Garrus was unfamiliar with the human term "sourpuss" and so provided a careful and slightly bemused frown. "You and I are going to have to get along, otherwise we'll just end up killing each other. And I don't have anything against you, turian, even if you did interfere with my operation back on Virmire. That I can forgive you for but being a prick to me now might make me change my mind."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you, especially since you've admitted to having killed my brother," Garrus demanded. What annoyed him most was the almost casual demeanour Sommers was displaying, as if nothing the turian said could faze him.

Sommers nodded, putting his empty right hand to the Magnum revolver in the holster at his waist.

"I happen to be the one with the gun," Sommers said, "That's why you shouldn't kill me."

"I can still try," Garrus replied. Sommers had showed earlier that in close quarters combat he was somewhat ill-matched when compared to Garrus. Then again, Garrus had only had basic close-combat training from when he had joined C-Sec. All C-Sec officers were given a basic understanding of how to defend themselves when unarmed, although being law enforcement officers they were supposed to defuse potentially volatile situations in a non-violent means. Garrus had always found these rules and regulations a little restrictive. He had never thought much about committing acts of violence and was not too bothered when he did break someone's neck or shoot someone through the head…In fact, violence did not seem to bother him. Usually this was an indication that he had become no better than the violent criminals he brought justice to but thinking this simply angered him. It angered him because it meant that Colonel Sommers had been right earlier: that he and Garrus were no different to each other.

"And what are the odds of reaching me before I pull my gun out and shoot you?" Sommers asked, raising an eyebrow, "Since I am pretty fast on the draw, even if I do say so myself."

There was a long silence between them, broken only by the background noises of the meadow and the forest around them. A flock of weird looking alien birds flew high overhead, emitting high-pitched squawks as they went. A gentle breeze whistled through the nearby foliage and rattled the long green grass of the meadow. An abrupt and low call sounded from the forest, probably being caused by some sort of wild animal. Garrus kept his gaze on the Colonel, taking in his opponent in much the same way a boxer would as he stepped into the ring to face-off against someone. The Colonel was doing the same sort of thing to Garrus. Both men, human and turian, said nothing for about a minute.

The turian was curious about what was within the suitcase that Sommers held and seemed to hold in such high regard. The fact that he had brought it here with him in order to keep it away from those who wished to exploit it…that hinted that he saw it as a potential weapon. Garrus could tell that Colonel Sommers had no intention of relieving the suitcase from his possession. No, the turian knew he would have to kill Sommers if he ever wanted to find out what was inside of it.

"I'd say the odds are well in my favour," Garrus replied bluntly, breaking the long silence. Sommers smiled mere seconds before he started to laugh. His laugh started off as a low chuckle but continued to increase in volume, echoing throughout the meadow like the call of a crazed hyena. The futility of Garrus' situation seemed to hit home and the turian started to laugh along with the Colonel, releasing some of his inner rage as he did so. Garrus could not believe he had found himself on some remote world with a Cerberus agent for company…and the means that had brought them here seemed almost impossible to comprehend. There was so many questions and yet so few answers: What was in that suitcase that could be so important? How the hell did they end up here exactly?

Sommers continued to laugh, almost keeling over from the force of it. Garrus remembered Shepard, he remembered her gentle touch, her ferocious gaze…He remembered everything about her, including the fire deep within her that seemed to fuel her every action. He had met her by mere chance but it seemed that fate had brought the two of them together: to think that some asshole of a human had denied him the chance of seeing her again or even having said goodbye to her was too much for Garrus.

Garrus' laugh died even when Colonel Sommers' did not. With a sudden but well calculated movement the turian took a step forward, delivering a powerful right hook across Sommers' face. The human's head snapped back and a spray of blood and spittle erupted from his mouth, as well as a strangled cry as his laughing was brought to an abrupt end. Sommers stumbled backwards as Garrus started towards him. The turian's fists were almost shaking with rage.

"You piece of shit," Sommers said. With the suitcase in his left hand he swung it, bringing the corner of the metal case right into the side of Garrus' head. The force of the blow send pain shooting through the turian's skull and it sent him flat onto the ground. Garrus rolled onto his back, dazed and confused as Sommers stood over him with the Magnum revolver clutched tightly in his right hand.

With a sharp kick Garrus brought his right foot into the Colonel's right hand. The Magnum flew out of his grip and disappeared amongst the grass nearby, leaving the Colonel momentarily stunned whilst he brought his right hand back in pain. Garrus rose to his feet, somewhat groggy from the blow he had received from his head. The blood pounded within his skull and his vision spun slightly, leaving the turian wobbling in his stance.

Sommers went to hit Garrus with the suitcase again but the turian grabbed his suitcase wielding arm, stopping the blow halfway through. Garrus used his other hand to punch Sommers in the gut, making the human stumble once more. The turian prised the suitcase out of the man's grip before sending it crashing into the side of his head. Dark red blood erupted forth from a cut that formed while Sommers landed flat onto the ground.

Garrus could feel something loose in his mouth and used his free hand to pull out a tooth that had been loosened from the blow he had received seconds earlier. He tossed it aside, unworried since another one would simply grow back in its place. Unlike humans, turians did not need to worry about losing teeth. He gazed down at the Colonel, satisfaction flowing through him when he saw the rather dazed look on the Colonel's face. Garrus went to his knees and held the bulky suitcase over his head, preparing to smash it down onto the human's face and quite probably kill him. One corner of the metal case was already stained with human blood.

Sommers seemed to regain his senses and his left hand went down into the grass just by his side. With it he seized a clump of dirt and flung it into the turian's face. Garrus swore loudly as dirt filled his eyes and he fell backwards involuntarily, the suitcase falling from his grip and landing nearby. Garrus furiously rubbed at his eyes, unable to keep them quite open as the irritating feeling of the dirt refused to go away. Before he could react Sommers was upon him, looming over him and punching in the face.

Garrus felt another few teeth loosen as Sommers' blow connected. Pain erupted through the turian's jaw and he was sent into a slight daze, finally opening his eyes fully as the Colonel delivered another blow. This one caught Garrus by the nose, snapping the turian's face to one side. Sommers punched him on the other side of the face, showing no signs of exhaustion as he delivered yet another blow after this. Garrus could barely follow what was happening since his head was aching so much. He could see the Colonel's face was contorted into a look of rage and he appeared to be taking out that rage on the turian before him. Dark blue blood dripped from Garrus' nose as a result of the Colonel's unrelenting blows.

Finally Garrus kicked the Colonel off of him, knocking the human onto the ground nearby. With some effort Garrus sat up, his head aching and feeling heavier than usual. He saw the suitcase lying nearby and picked it up with one hand, turning to kneel by the Colonel before slamming the metal case into the human's face. Sommers grunted and a few cuts opened on his face, each of them bleeding profusely. His nose was bleeding also, blood oozing forth before sliding down his cheeks due to gravity.

Garrus threw the suitcase to the side, taking a look around as he struggled to remain upright. Exhaustion began to set in as his right hand fell upon a rock. Gripping it he intended on smashing it into the Colonel's skull but something stopped him. Whether it was the fact he was about to kill an unarmed man or simply because he saw no point in hitting the Colonel again was debatable. Garrus was not too sure of the reason himself, his mind reasonably shaken up after getting beaten up by the Colonel. He dropped the rock and slowly rose to his feet.

Sommers was dazed and bloodied but he was slowly standing up as well. He shot Garrus an irritated gaze and the pair's eyes met: there seemed to be a silent understanding between the two of them then and there.

"I think we should try and get along," Sommers said, wiping away the blood that was oozing out of his mouth and nose.

"I was thinking we should kill each other later," Garrus said. His head still throbbed painfully while his nose bled slowly. He wiped the blood away and spat to the side, sending another loosened tooth flying from his mouth. He returned his gaze to the Colonel, realizing that as much as he wanted to kill the guy he knew that the Colonel may be of some help in getting off of this rock. It was a long-shot but if Garrus had a chance to escape it most likely lay with Colonel Sommers. There was something in that suitcase that the Colonel held, something important…one war or another Garrus would find out what it was.

Sommers found his Magnum revolver and slipped it back into his holster. His face was bruised and bloodied while Garrus' face was somewhat better off, primarily because of the turian's harder and scaly skin. Still, Garrus had a thumping headache that reverberated through his skull with each heartbeat.

"I want to find a way off of this rock," Garrus said, "And you're going to help me, otherwise I will kill you."

Sommers simply delivered a rather blank expression as a response, making it impossible to determine what he was thinking.

"There ain't any way off of this planet," Sommers replied. He was understandably sour towards the turian, especially after what had happened.

Garrus shook his head. There had to be a way…there always was a way. Shepard had taught him that: There was always a way out of a sticky situation. To think that there wasn't was simply a defeatist's way of thinking. Shepard was no defeatist and Garrus was going to follow her example. There was always a way…always.

"Then we're going to have to find one," Garrus replied. Sommers just shook his head when he heard this statement. He seemed quite sure that there was no way off of this planet. How did that make sense, to have a means to instantly teleport here and yet no means to make a return trip? Garrus could see Shepard on Virmire, frantically searching for any trace of him. She would not give up her search, even if it became an obsession. In his mind's eye he could see her spending many nights without sleep, searching for a means to find him. Those Prothean ruins on Virmire must have some clue as to how to work the portal. Sommers had found out somehow so it was quite possible for others to find out. Yet there was that part of Garrus' mind that was telling him that he would never see her again. He preferred to ignore this defeatist part of his mind and concentrate on getting off of this planet.

Garrus' left leg had started to hurt again. The painkillers he had taken earlier were obviously starting to wear off and unfortunately he no longer had anymore. This development only further angered him since it would slow him down, forcing him to hobble along on his healing left leg. It had been bad luck to get it broken in the first place and now it would resume hampering his movement.

"According to what I read, there should be a settlement a few kilometres eastwards," Sommers announced, "You can follow me if you want, or you can stay here and wallow in your own misery. Just don't try killing me again." He said the last part with some annoyance, as if he knew it would happen soon enough.

Garrus looked up and saw that the Colonel had already begun walking away. The turian was left standing in the middle of the meadow, watching as Sommers headed into the forest. Garrus did not wish to be stranded with such a despicable man yet he did not have a choice in the matter. He would try killing Sommers again, especially if the man could not provide any help in finding a way off of this planet. That teardrop shaped rock he had with him must be the key to getting off of this planet, especially since it was what had brought them here. And then there was the suitcase and whatever it contained that Garrus was curious about.

"Shepard will find me!" Garrus shouted after the Colonel, his voice displaying renewed determination. Sommers did not turn around and instead started chuckling to himself. Garrus heard the laughter and continued to shout: "_She will find me_! And she'll find you! _And then we'll both kill you!_ Do you hear me, Sommers? WE'LL KILL YOU!" Rage filled the turian's voice. Tears began to form in his eyes. His situation was hopeless and Sommers knew it.

"Keep dreaming, you dumb-fuck turian," Sommers shouted back as he disappeared into the forest.

Left alone, Garrus took a look around. There was nothing in sight but wilderness, confirming that he was definitely isolated from the rest of galactic society. Summing up the last reserves of strength he started to reluctantly follow the Colonel, hobbling along on his aching left leg as he did so. He knew that Colonel Sommers would try and kill him, hence why Garrus knew he would have to always be one step ahead of the human. This whole thing would become a game of one-man upmanship. It was a game Garrus intended to win, one way or another.


	8. Frustration

**Chapter VIII: Frustration**

Garrus Vakarian and Colonel Sommers had disappeared. As much as Commander Kate Shepard refused to admit it, the pair of them had simply disappeared in a flash of yellow light upon making contact with the projection between the two pillars. It was an impossible notion for two real people to just disappear into thin air but that had been what had happened. Shepard had not been sure on how she should react, especially when it came Garrus. She had ran towards the pillars but by then the projection had disappeared as well. The glowing symbols on the circular plate on the second pillar had faded, leaving absolutely no hint that it had been tampered with in any way. Whatever Sommers had done he had covered his tracks effectively. The one item that may have helped Shepard find out just what the hell had happened, being the tear-drop shaped stone, had gone as well. Sommers had taken it with him when it had clearly been what worked the circular plate on the pillars. The plate itself seemed to be a sort of combination lock and the tear-drop shaped stone had been what worked it. Without both components the pillars were unworkable.

Shepard knew that even if she had the stone she had no way of determining the combination Sommers had used. There were simply far too many questions in her mind, including just what the hell had happened for both Garrus and Sommers to disappear. She knew it had something to do with the pillars down in the Prothean structure but there was more to it than that. What they had done to send them both away was almost difficult to fathom. People did not just disappear…The way these two had, going away in a flash of yellow light, reminded her of those old shows that featured people teleporting away. Was teleportation even possible? It could not have been just teleportation, especially since it had something to do with the projection that had been put up between the pillars. The projection had provided a real-time image of some sort of meadow…maybe that had been where Garrus and Sommers had ended up. Where the hell was that meadow? It could have been anywhere in this galaxy, making a search nigh on impossible to complete without any solid leads. And solid leads were what Shepard was lacking right now.

She had spent the last hour searching the compound for Garrus but to no avail. The ancient Prothean structure had only a few other rooms, all of which were empty save for some ancient computer consoles. Even with the knowledge of the Prothean language that had been almost literally burned into her brain, Shepard had found that none of the ancient computers contained useful information. They spoke of this place being a sort of research outpost, one that had a gateway to the final safe haven for the Prothean race. The gateway was what she assumed was the pillars and the projection they had put up. Maybe it was not much of a teleportation device…maybe it had been a portal, an even slightly more absurd idea. She had given up working the ancient computers, primarily because most of the data on them had become scrambled and damaged over the last fifty thousand years of disuse. There was nothing to be found that would help with Garrus' disappearance and where he might have ended up.

It was funny to think that it was the turian's determination that had sent him to some unknown world. He had lunged for Colonel Sommers and had sent them both into the projection, the pair disappearing in a flash of yellow light upon touching it. It was sort of Garrus' fault for doing this when Shepard thought about it.

Joker had finally managed to make contact with her a few minutes after Garrus had disappeared. He had mentioned something abut having been unable to contact them sooner, as well as something about two unidentified ships entering the sector. The frigate in orbit, undoubtedly the one that Sommers had arrived at Virmire on, had since fled the system. It would not be long before whoever was on the newly arrived ships would be coming down to check out the planet. Shepard had told Joker to make a landing near the compound since they would be staying as long as they were able to. She would not be leaving, not until she found out a means to find Garrus. To simply leave him to whatever fate awaited him where he had ended up was too much of a thought to bear. For the first time in her lengthy military career, Commander Shepard was beginning to feel desperate. Frustration, anger…all of those emotions and more flowed through her, providing a rather unpredictable and volatile demeanour that threatened to boil over at any moment.

She should have known that coming to Virmire had been a bad idea. She had done it for Garrus so that he could find out answers about the fate of his brother. She had thought that they would be able to apprehend Colonel Sommers and gain intelligence on Cerberus. Instead the bastard had captured them instead and subjected them to his rather self-righteous arguments that placed him as the victim and Shepard as the wrongdoer. _What an asshole_, Shepard thought absently.

There had still been a few of Sommers' goons left alive after all that had happened. Shepard had found one trying to make his way to a garage in the compound and had grabbed hold of him, dragging him down into the Prothean structure while the _Normandy_ touched down outside. Wrex was standing inside the room, doing little else but standing guard by the pillars. He watched carefully as Shepard walked in with Sommers' goon in tow before she forcefully pinned the young man to the table in the centre of the room.

Shepard could tell that Wrex knew about her and Garrus. Even if he had not known he would now, especially after Shepard's reaction to seeing the turian pretty much disappear into thin air. She pulled out her sidearm and pressed the barrel against the back of the soldier's head, her face creasing into one of barely contained rage.

"I have a few questions," Shepard said, "And I want you to answer them. If I think you're lying, I'm going to blow something off."

Shepard took one of the soldier's arms and forced it behind his back, making him grunt with both pain and surprise as she forced it up. He was breathing quickly, scared out of his wits of the volatile woman with the gun pointed at the back of his head.

"Just…please…don't kill me," the soldier struggled to say. Wrex was standing nearby, watching with indifference.

"I'm the one who's going to decide whether you live or die," Shepard replied, "So maybe you should start answering my questions, beginning with this one: Where the hell is your boss?"

"The Colonel?"

"Yeah, him."

There was a pause. The soldier tilted his head slightly towards the pillars, frowning in confusion. There was a very good chance that he had no idea how the pillars worked but Shepard would try anyway…she was not going to leave Garrus behind.

"He went to…wherever…"

Shepard shifted the pistol so that it pressed against the back of the soldier's left hand.

"Where?"

"I don't know…"

"You mean he never told you?" Shepard found this a little hard to believe. The thought occurred to her that Colonel Sommers had simply been using these goons for protection and would not have actually taken them with him through the portal (if that's what it was, Shepard could not be sure).

"He just said we'd be going to some place safe," the soldier replied, his voice taking on a more desperate sounding tone, "He never said where exactly, except that it had something to do with those pillars and the stone he had."

"Did it ever occur to you that the Colonel was simply going to go to this 'safe place' by himself and leave you and your buddies behind?" Shepard asked. She was certain that this was true and she smiled at the doubt that crossed the soldier's ever pleading face. She was right, she had to be. Colonel Sommers did not care about the soldiers under his command, he just cared on saving himself. He had gone to some place where Cerberus would never be able to find him. It must have been pretty isolated a place since Cerberus was supposed to be everywhere.

"Yes, that sort of crossed my mind…" The soldier replied, "But I don't know anything else. I was just being paid to keep the security here…"

"You did a pretty bad job of that," Shepard said, "Especially since myself and two others were able to pretty much kill all of the guards here. Either the Colonel didn't care about organizing security as well as he could have or you Cerberus goons are really bad at your job."

There was a brief silence. Shepard needed answers and she was not getting them. Her frustration grew and she pulled the trigger on the pistol impulsively. The soldier screamed as his left hand was blown to pieces but the screams did not register with Shepard. Instead she moved the pistol to the soldier's other hand. The gaze she wore of passive indifference was a sure indication that she cared little about the wellbeing of the Cerberus soldier.

"Now, did the Colonel ever mention anything about how the pillars worked? Or did he keep that secret as well?" Shepard said, her tone level and calm. The soldier was breathing heavily and seemed to faint but Shepard used one hand to shake him out of it. She was not about to let this guy get off lightly for all that had happened, especially since Garrus' life was at stake.

"The pillars…he never said much about them, except that they were able to form a sort of 'gateway' to another planet. This was how we were going to get to the 'safe place'…"  
"And how do you activate this 'gateway'?" Shepard asked. The whole idea of this 'gateway' was somewhat absurd but she could see that there was some proof that it was indeed what it was. Garrus and Sommers had disappeared into it, indicating that it had done something to take them away.

"The stone he had…You need the stone…"

Shepard's heart skipped a beat. They did not have the stone since Sommers had taken it with him. There had to be another way to operate the gateway, there just had to be…And even if she did manage to get it working, what then? For all she knew Garrus and Sommers were stranded on some far away world with no means to escape or to contact galactic civilization. If she went through the gateway she could very well end up stranded as well. A rescue operation was no good if the rescuers could not actually rescue anybody.

"Is there another way to activate the gateway?" Shepard asked. The soldier shook his head. Without hesitation she blew away his other hand, splattering blood across the table. The soldier screamed again but Shepard ignored it.

Wrex was watching with some vague interest from the corner of the room. He did not care much about what the Commander was doing and did not see why he should. He certainly liked her better than most humans.

"There has to be another way," Shepard said, more to herself than anyone else. The soldier she had pinned on the table had fainted so Shepard let him go, allowing him to fall to the floor and begin bleeding everywhere down there.

Shepard stood looking at the two pillars for a moment, thinking carefully over what she would do. There could not be no way to activate the gateway that formed between the pillars, she refused to accept that she had met a figurative dead-end. Garrus was out there somewhere, he was not dead. Shepard had not seen him die so chances were he was still alive, if only stranded on some remote world with only Colonel Sommers for company. It was not an ideal situation for the turian since he and Sommers would probably be trying to kill each other. She knew that Garrus could take care of himself but she was not going to give up and leave him wherever this "safe place" was.

Shepard stepped towards the pillar on the right, this one having the circular plate and symbols arranged around it. She put a hand to the indentation in the centre where the teardrop shaped stone was to fit. There was the vain hope that maybe it would activate if she touched it but nothing happened. There was no visible means to manipulate the circular plate and enter a combination and even so, just what combination would she put in? She had paid little attention to when Sommers had entered the combination since she had not thought much of it then. Back then she had not known just how much of an important role these two pillars were to play and if she had known maybe she would have paid more attention. Besides, Wrex had barged in at that moment anyway and drawn whatever little attention she had had towards Sommers' actions away from him and towards the krogan. Maybe if Wrex had not entered…No, that was just passing the blame. It was no one's fault but Sommers'. He was the one that had caused all of this. And he was the one that would pay for it if Shepard ever found him.

"You care about the turian, don't you Shepard?" Wrex asked abruptly. Shepard's gaze was drawn away from the pillar and towards the krogan. She had little qualms about denying it, especially since it was obvious Wrex had a good grasp of the truth.

"Garrus is important to me," Shepard replied, "And I'm not going to leave here until we find a way to locate him. There has to be clues to his whereabouts around here somewhere." She kept her expression one of stern neutrality but deep down she had the feeling that there was no way to find Garrus. All of the ancient computers here were corrupted with age. There was no means to operate the ancient data crystals, if that's even what they were. There were about half a dozen of them of differing colours all laid out on a table by the wall, all of them being obvious discoveries made by Sommers and his goons during the excavation.

Wrex snorted. Shepard raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether the snort was in approval or disapproval.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Wrex?" Shepard turned around, looking at the stern krogan in an effort to try and read his reptilian features. It was certainly difficult and she gave up after a few seconds.

"Not really," the krogan said, "It's just that I doubt we'll find the turian. You saw what I saw: he disappeared, along with that prick of a human. Whatever the hell happened, they're gone."

Shepard did not agree with this statement: Garrus was somewhere, she could just feel it. She would not leave this place until a means was found to locate Garrus…although even with this she knew would not be possible. There were Cerberus ships in orbit around the planet and the _Normandy_ was taking a great risk in parking itself nearby. No scan from orbit would be able to detect the frigate but visual confirmation was somewhat easier when a ship was parked on a planet's surface. A few photographs from high altitude probes would reveal the presence of the _Normandy_. The Commander had the feeling that they would have unwanted company soon enough.

"Garrus is out there somewhere," Shepard said, trying her best to keep confident about it, "And so is that asshole Colonel Sommers. I'm not about to just leave and call it a day, unlike you."

"You're by yourself in that regards then, Shepard," Wrex said, his tone as blunt as it often was, "I'm not about to waste my time in some fruitless quest for your turian boyfriend. You can stay here all you want because I ain't."

"If you're not going to be any help, why don't you just leave?" Shepard said, her tone edged with irritation. Wrex was always like this but she had never really been bothered by it until now…since now he was directly attacking her morale. Krogans were not ones to harbour false hopes, unlike humans. Shepard knew that the chances of finding Garrus were slim but she would not give up, not by a long-shot. And she did not need some pissed off krogan trying to talk her out of her "fruitless quest". A fruitless quest was certainly better than no quest at all.

"Fine then, Shepard," Wrex said, starting to walk towards the door, "I _will_ leave. Besides, I need to take a piss." He left the room and the Prothean structure, leaving Shepard alone within. The other members of the main team of the _Normandy_ would probably be on board the ship or in the compound. Shepard was more or less alone within the Prothean ruin, left to wallow in her own thoughts.

She stepped over to the space between the two pillars. To think that she would never see Garrus again…to think that there was absolutely no way to find him…it was too much. For someone who had grown up in the tough streets of Earth's megatropolises with no parents, someone who had been through hell and back on Torfan…She had finally found someone who had shared in her beliefs to get the job done, to get rid of the criminals that plagued the galaxy regardless of the cost. That someone had been Garrus, the hot-headed turian C-Sec officer. He had seemed quite the firm believer in the age-old saying "the end justifies the means", as Shepard was. Sometimes innocents had to die for the greater good, sometimes you had to make sacrifices to ensure that the galaxy was a slightly safer place than it had been before. She had seen so many things in her short time as a Spectre and had effectively saved the galaxy from extinction. And yet the thought of losing Garrus was the one thing she could not "take": she had no qualms with killing people and she had no problem with seeing people die. Garrus, on the other hand, was different. Shepard had had lovers before but none she felt so strongly about as she did now to Garrus. Garrus' apparent clumsiness had amused her when he had confronted her in her quarters en route to Ilos. Funnily enough, she found that aspect of him quite cute. Here was a hot-headed turian officer who could handle close to everything except women. At their very first meeting in the Council chambers on the Citadel, Shepard had barely given Garrus a moment's thought. As they had grown to know each other, so had the bond between them until it had been consummated with the night they spent together while heading to Ilos. She could not lose him, not so soon after they had finally admitted their feelings for each other. They may have been entirely different species but Shepard no longer cared. When she saw Garrus Vakarian she no longer saw him as a turian, she simply saw him for the kind of person he was: he was Garrus Vakarian and that was all that mattered. Turian or not, it did not matter to Shepard.

The Commander put her back against the wall and put one hand to her head, shaking it in almost complete denial of the situation. Why now and why like this? It would have been better if she had been able to say a goodbye to the turian but he had simply been snatched away from her without warning and quite abruptly. If he was out in the galaxy somewhere Shepard would find him, one way or another.

She involuntarily slumped against the wall, exhausted both physically and mentally. She blamed herself for even bringing the turian here. She was in charge of the crew of the _Normandy_ after all, she could have said a simple "no" when Garrus had brought up the idea of finding the Colonel. Then again, she remembered that it had been herself who had brought up the idea of finding Colonel Sommers. She had acquired the information required to find the Colonel and she had had Joker bring the _Normandy_ back to Virmire.

Shepard would not cry. She refused to cry, she liked to think herself above crying. Regardless of all that she was feeling, she would not cry: crying was a show of weakness, of defeat. She was not defeated, not when there was the possibility that Garrus was still alive. The turian was probably just out of reach; it certainly seemed the most logical of conclusions. She would never rest until she found him.

Joker's voice broke her reverie. Shepard put a finger to the comm-unit in her ear, listening as the pilot delivered a recent development:

"_Uh, Commander…I'm getting some bogeys on the scanners. They're heading straight for us."_

Shepard swallowed. Everyone else would want to leave, especially since there was little reason for them to be here. The incoming hostile forces provided just another reason to leave. Shepard knew she had done all she could here and yet she was not satisfied. She would never be satisfied until she found Garrus again.

"Any other details?" Shepard asked. She would only make a decision once she had enough information to do so. There would be no point in leaving now when there was no reason to.

"_They're shuttlecraft, Commander. Troop transports. And I'm pretty sure they've come from the ships I mentioned earlier. They probably know we're down here."_

Shepard stood up. To leave when there was still hope of finding Garrus…And yet she knew she had done all she could. None of the Prothean computers were in full working order, the "key" that activated the portal had been taken by Colonel Sommers to wherever he and Garrus had ended up. Shepard saw the Prothean crystals on the nearby table. Without hesitation she grabbed all six and bundled them into a compartment in her armour.

"Joker, fire up the engines," Shepard ordered, "I'll be right there."

"_Roger that, Commander."_

Shepard took up her assault rifle from where it was leaning against the wall. She started towards the doorway, stopping there as she managed one last glance at the room and the two pillars. There she vowed to find Garrus, no matter what she had to do, even if she had to come back here. There was the thought that maybe she could get rid of these incoming hostile forces and secure the area, allowing her and the others from the _Normandy_ to stay indefinitely.

Shepard headed up a flight of ancient steps and down a short hallway before exiting the mostly buried Prothean structure. She climbed the stairs that lead down into the excavation, coming out into the compound. The _Normandy_ was parked some distance away, back near the beach. That left about a kilometre or two for Shepard and the others who were here to head back, effectively abandoning this compound to the enemy. Such a thought annoyed the Commander but what other did they have? They could stay and fight but once word got out to whoever these bad guys were they would probably just send more soldiers. It occurred to Shepard that she had gotten involved in some sort of faction war, especially since Colonel Sommers had apparently broken away from Cerberus. No doubt the rest of Cerberus were the ones on their way here, deciding to pay the Colonel a visit…too bad he was gone to God only knew where, along with Garrus.

Shepard was about halfway through the compound when the first of the shuttlecraft landed nearby. It was a standard Alliance-built shuttle, save for the fact that it lacked Alliance insignia. It lacked any sort of discerning marks, appearing as a silver craft with a sleek design and standard armour-plating. To any observer it could have belonged to anyone.

The Commander raised the rifle and started to jog, glancing over at the shuttle as the rear door opened. Immediately armed men in grey armour suits began to flow out, spreading around the shuttle in a standard perimeter-forming formation. There were about a dozen of them, all armed and all faceless beneath their darkened visors.

Shepard spoke quickly into her comm-unit.

"Joker, I've got company," she said. The soldiers near the parked shuttle took a moment to notice her and when they did they spread out and began shooting. Shepard was out of their line of fire in a few seconds, heading around a temporary metal structure. She heard them shouting orders at each other, probably in an effort to intercept her.

"_Commander, we're waiting on you. If you have company I suggest you just run away."_ Joker sounded somewhat worried and Shepard frowned, delivering her response:

"What's going on at your end, Joker?" She asked.

"_Wrex, Kaidan and some of the security teams are tied up fighting a bunch of gun-toting goons on the beach just outside the ship,"_ Joker replied, _"And according to the scanners, more shuttles are on their way. It looks like we've stirred up a hornet's nest, if you don't mind the cliché."_

Shepard sighed. They were waiting on her? So, everybody else had just decided to leave the compound without her? Then again, she and Wrex had been only two of six who had actually come to the compound once the _Normandy_ had landed. The other four had been from the ship's research teams and they had had little luck in deciphering the Prothean ruins.

Shepard kept running, even as the gunfire erupted behind her. Bullets zipped by and pounded off of the ground as she ran. She sprinted out of the compound, the Prothean data crystals jingling about inside a compartment within her armour.

"Just don't leave without me, Joker," Shepard said between breaths.

"_I would never think about doing that, Commander,"_ Joker replied, although if he was being serious or not was hard to tell. It was always hard to tell with Joker.

* * *

It had been a good month. The man with the cigar watched the monitors on the bridge of his flagship, the frigate named _Shoulder of Orion_. As the troops landed on Virmire to secure the dig-site and hopefully Colonel Sommers and the package, the man with the cigar smiled. Everything was falling into place.

He was a man of tall authority with a muscular build that came from years of service in the military. He was outfitted in a red and black outfit, one that acted as a protective armour vest as well as a standard uniform. As a result it looked quite bulky, with noticeable padding at the chest and stomach areas. His pants were black and not at all baggy, yet they did not cling to him like other sorts of trousers. The shoulder pads of his uniform were somewhat large and added to his imposing figure. On the front of his uniform were the bands that represented his rank: A Captain, one who had served in the Alliance Navy for many years. There had been a gap of several years however, one that was filled with hazy memories of laboratories and painful experiments. Those years were behind him and now…now he had the gifts of a man built to lead and to fight. And his plans were falling into place, especially since Colonel Sommers had been so easy to track down.

One of the technicians on the bridge called out to him and the man with the cigar strolled over. As he walked he placed the cigar into the corner of his mouth, leaving it there unlit. The bridge of the _Shoulder of Orion_ was semi-circular, like the bridges of most Alliance built ships.

The Captain only had to think for a split second and the tip of the cigar lit up by itself, a trail of smoke beginning to waft from its tip. The technician barely noticed and instead pointed to the image on one of the displays in front of them: the Captain saw it and frowned, realizing that this was not what was supposed to be happening.

"This is a live-feed from the troop transport we sent directly to the compound," the technician said, "There's none of Sommers' goons. Instead, there's the one woman, just there…" He pointed to a figure in the distance, running past and into view of the camera for a few seconds before disappearing.

"Zoom in," the Captain said, his voice carrying a slight British sounding twang. The technician nodded in acknowledgement and momentarily manipulated some of the holographic panels. The picture froze at one frame, the one where the woman had turned her head to look towards the shuttle for only a moment…but a moment was more than enough.

The Captain felt some annoyance at whom he saw. He knew that it had not been impossible for this situation to arise but when he saw it he knew that his original scheme had been thrown way out of whack.

"Commander Shepard," he said simply. He should have known: Shepard and her friends were interfering and had probably taken Sommers captive. Securing the excavation site would be vital, since there was also the good chance that Sommers had managed to escape. The British Captain had planned for every sort of opportunity…save for this, the intervention of the galaxy's first human Spectre.

"Tell the soldiers to cease attacking the Commander and her forces," the Captain said, "We don't need to kill them. In fact, let them go. We'll pretend they weren't here."

"What about Sommers?"

"We'll find Sommers," the Captain replied, quite certain that they would. He returned to his position in the centre of the bridge, placing his gloved hands behind his back as he surveyed holographic displays with an indifferent expression on his features. His blue eyes had darkened somewhat towards this recent development. He did scratch at one part of his short-cut black hair but otherwise he was little fazed by the Commander's presence on Virmire.

_There was no way to plan for every conceivable possibility_, he thought, _There have been changes, perhaps my presence here has altered things slightly. The only thing that matters now is getting Sommers…and that suitcase._

The slight annoyance that he felt manifested itself at the tip of his cigar: there was a sudden bout of roaring flame and half of the cigar disappeared, turning to ash. The Captainr dropped it to the floor absently, keeping his expression neutral even as the technicians on the bridge gave him odd looks.


	9. Abandoned

**Chapter XI: Abandoned**

Colonel Sommers did not slow down once during the walk, even when Garrus was falling behind as they trudged through the thick undergrowth. The turian's left leg ached admirably and he was beginning to find it difficult to keep up his pace, especially since the injury seemed aggravated after his fight with the Colonel. He was already quite tired after the events of the day and did not know how long he could keep walking like this.

The Colonel was several metres up ahead, barely paying attention to the ambling turian behind him. He walked with a confident pace, having little trouble traversing the uneven ground of the forest. Above the canopy was thick and little sunlight shone through, creating a cool, dark and foreboding environment beneath. Insects buzzed around and some had the nerve to bite the human and the turian. Garrus was barely affected due to his thick scaly skin but the Colonel seemed to be growing increasingly annoyed with the bugs, swatting them to and fro as he walked.

Garrus' head still ached profoundly after his fight with the Colonel. There were a few gaps in his mouth where teeth had once been while the blood pounded in his skull, each heartbeat sending one long ache flowing through his head. His anger towards the Colonel had subsided somewhat since their fight, especially since neither of them had really been successful in beating each other up. Both of them were quite evenly matched as much as Garrus hated to admit it, leaving them in a stalemate. Garrus knew that the Colonel would probably try and kill him sooner or later, especially if they ended up staying on this world for a long time. The turian had no intention of staying longer than he needed to. He was going to find a way off of this forgotten world no matter what happened.

Until they got to this Prothean town Sommers had mentioned, Garrus had decided not to try anything against the Colonel. He was not in much of a state to try anyway, with his aching head and throbbing left leg. Each step became harder than the last as the pain in his left leg gradually increased. Ahead, Colonel Sommers had little trouble manoeuvring through the underbrush and swatting away bugs. Garrus felt a large one land at his neck and sink its teeth into his scaly skin, its sharp teeth having little trouble in puncturing his exoskeleton to get at the blood flowing underneath. Garrus swatted it with one hand, feeling in explode in a rather disgusting manner. His hand came away covered with sticky green gunk and he wiped it with disgust upon a nearby bush.

Garrus continued walking albeit slowly and carefully. He was in an understandably sour mood after all that had happened, although there was some curiosity he felt when it came to what Sommers had said: a settlement of Protheans was apparently on this very world, having separated from the rest of their civilization. If they were still around then Sommers and Garrus would be able to meet with actual Protheans…the turian had no idea what they looked like, having only seen the statues on Ilos that were of tall but strange looking alien creatures. If that's what they looked like…well, he and Sommers would definitely be out of place.

The turian continued to follow in Sommers' wake, almost falling over as he tried to step over a fallen tree trunk. Garrus had to balance himself against the fallen moss covered trunk with one hand as he eased his aching left leg over it. He stepped over it successfully and continued to walk onwards, only to fall over a slight dip in the ground that Sommers had had little trouble in avoiding.

Garrus landed flat on his front as his left leg erupted in pain. He groaned, refusing to scream and show weakness. The last thing he needed was Colonel Sommers to come by and take advantage of his injuries and kill him. The Colonel would do that, as Garrus believed, so there was no way he could possibly give the Colonel a chance. Garrus kept telling himself he would live through this and get off of this planet, even when the chances of that seemed rather slim. He would see Shepard again, no matter what he had to do to achieve that.

Sommers stopped up ahead and turned around, watching with some curiosity as Garrus picked himself up from the ground slowly. The turian winced as his left leg erupted into pain again. He composed himself and started to walk in the Colonel's wake, his gaze meeting with the Colonel's as he approached.

"You look like you need some help," Sommers said, a slight smile forming on his features.

"Shut up and keep walking," Garrus replied harshly. Colonel Sommers simply shook his head and turned around, resuming his walk through the forest.

Garrus knew he needed to find a way off of this planet. If there were actual Protheans here he doubted they would be much help…then again he doubted that they were still here after about fifty thousand years. It seemed odd to think that one set of Protheans had decided to leave the rest of their civilization behind since none had known of the Reaper invasion until it had happened. And the Reapers had been frighteningly thorough in their extermination, so this planet may not have remained entirely untouched. Sure, there was no evidence of any battles here but fifty thousand years had passed since the Reapers had exterminated the Protheans. This was ample time for the evidence to have faded into nothing.

Garrus passed a young looking tree, one that was struggling to grow tall enough to break through the canopy. One of the branches was thick and quite long so stopping momentarily he grabbed this branch and pulled down sharply. It broke away after some effort but when he succeeded he knew he had himself an effective walking stick. Gripping the end in his left hand he began to walk again, trying to put wait on the stick and not his left leg. It helped slightly but not as much as he would have liked it to.

Sommers still had that suitcase gripped in his left hand. It was scratched and dented from the wear and tear it had acquired over time, yet now there were a few red bloodstains on it as well as some dark blue turian blood. If anything Garrus wanted to know what was inside but that would mean killing the Colonel, something he had already tried to do but his attempts had not been successful. Sommers was still alive and the suitcase was still in his possession.

Garrus tailed along behind the Colonel, the few insect bites he had beginning to itch. He scratched at them absently as he walked along, forcing his way through thick underbrush and past the trunks of centuries old trees. There was still significant anger within him and he took it out on the bushes he pushed through, smashing through their leaves with his makeshift walking stick. To think he was stranded here…it made him far angrier than he had ever been before. He had not asked for this, to be brought here with Colonel Sommers and yet it had happened anyway, as if some sort of higher power had it in for him. Garrus was not the religious type, primarily because it was not something he had ever given much thought to. There was no time to give faith in divine beings much thought when you worked with someone like Commander Shepard.

Already he had begun to miss the Commander. Her fiery temper, her bright blue eyes, the warmth of her skin…all of those things and more the turian had begun to miss profoundly. It simply fuelled the determination he had to get off of this planet and he vowed that he would not rest until he had seen her again. For once in his life Garrus had found someone he could relate to, someone who liked him as much as he liked them. Commander Shepard may have been human but he no longer saw her as a mere "human": She was Commander Katelyn Shepard and, if Garrus was thinking right, he loved her. It was a silly thing to think so soon after they had consummated their relationship but he thought it anyway. He had been let down in the past by other women so he knew to tread carefully when it came to declaring love for another. He had not had a chance to tell Shepard this before he had been snatched away from her so suddenly and this thought angered him. It was all Colonel Sommers' fault, even if Garrus himself had been the one to dive at the Colonel and send them both into the portal. Now they were here, far away from any galactic civilization. Garrus' transponder was broadcasting but he doubted it would ever be detected and if it was he doubted those forces would be benevolent. For once in his life, Garrus wanted something to go "right" for a change: his relationship with Commander Shepard seemed to be going this way for a while before he had ended up on this planet. When he finally did find a way off of this world, if he ever did, then Colonel Sommers would pay for what he had done.

"I think we're almost there," Sommers announced from up ahead. Garrus did not respond, seeing no reason to. The Colonel had caused enough trouble for one day and Garrus was certainly in no mood to speak to him.

However, Garrus did stop for a moment and look around, trying to listen for any sound that may indicate some semblance of intelligent life nearby. Instead, he was met by silence. It was an eerie silence, one that seemed to bore right into his very being. It was enough to send someone mad and immediately Garrus knew something was not right. He looked up ahead and saw that Colonel Sommers had stopped by a large black column that poked from the ground, one that was covered with weeds and moss. Garrus slowly approached and stopped nearby, able to see that the black stone column was definitely Prothean in nature. He recognized the design from what he had seen on Ilos. The column was etched with intricate geometric patterns while a few symbols had been carefully carved into its front. Sommers was looking at the column carefully, frowning as he removed a datapad from a pocket in his jacket.

"I did some research," he said, "Some of the more common Prothean symbols I've been able to translate." He looked through the information stored on the datapad, taking a moment to match the symbols on the column to the ones he had on record. "It's a welcome sign. It seems we're on the right track."

"You would think that if they were still here they'd have kept it from ending up half buried and covered with moss," Garrus said. Sommers looked a little fazed by this comment but said nothing, putting away the datapad and turning around to resume walking. Garrus started following him again, already quite sure that they would find nothing at the Prothean town. Whoever was once living here had since gone or had simply become careless in maintaining their welcome sign, it was impossible to tell for sure.

Garrus could tell that Sommers was worried abut what they would find. The Colonel was being ignorant of the obvious facts, preferring to think that these Protheans were still at their peaceful little town on this world. Already Garrus could see that this was not the case. The silence was a dead giveaway, as was the ill-maintained "welcome sign". It was strange how these Protheans could have remained here for fifty thousand years anyway without making technological advancements and building a means to get off of the planet. By now they should at least have built a massive city…and yet there was no evidence of one anywhere.

"You're hoping for too much if you think these Protheans are still around," Garrus said as they walked on. He hobbled uneasily on his aching leg, doing his best to ignore the pain. Sommers glanced back at him, his face creased into a frown.

"Oh, really?" He asked, annoyed, "Why should I listen to some pessimistic turian such as yourself, Garrus?"

"Because it's obvious," Garrus replied.

"I prefer to gather all of the facts before making wild assumptions," Sommers said, "My dad always used to say: _ASSUME makes an ASS out of YOU and ME_. You get it?"

Garrus just shook his head and the Colonel returned his gaze to his front with some irritation evident on his features, walking along as if nothing had been said. Garrus was not looking forward to arriving in this Prothean town…that's if it was still there since chances were it was not.

The forest began to ease out a little. Sommers' pace picked up noticeably as they neared their intended destination and Garrus struggled to keep up. He felt like such a cripple, hobbling along on a makeshift walking stick and falling behind but he could do little about it. He had lost his whole container of painkilling capsules during the firefight on Virmire so he would have to put up with the pain as his left leg healed. There was no advanced medical equipment here, leaving Garrus with little option but to live with the pain. Maybe there were some plants he could eat…but he doubted it. If this planet was anything like most others then most of the available food sources here were not fit for turians to eat. Instead, he would probably be forced to drink water and eat leaves. It seemed that not only was he stuck here but there was also a good chance he would starve, further adding insult to injury. He shook his head as he thought about this, and could only feel envious of Sommers who would have little trouble in finding something to eat thanks to being human.

The forest ahead opened into a clearing nestled in a wide valley, with mountains far off on the horizon. The sky above was practically cloudless and the harsh yellow sun beat down upon the landscape. Sommers was noticeably sweating while Garrus' hardened scaly skin was beginning to get hot. Ahead, by a narrow river that flowed through marshland, was a set of overgrown structures that had seen better days. Garrus stopped on the trail that lead into the centre of what had once been a quaint little village while Sommers put one hand to his head, shaking it furiously.

The village consisted of primitive wooden structures, all of them fairly large hinting at the typical height of an average Prothean (which was quite tall). All of the buildings were falling apart and overgrown, with most of the wood having rotted over the last fifty thousand years. The only parts of the buildings that had been left standing were the stone supports and even they were not looking to be in terribly good shape either. The centre of the village was overgrown with long grass and weeds, with one single ancient column jutting up from the centre of it all. Any sort of evidence that there had once been people here was long gone, replaced with ruined buildings and rampant grass. Sommers looked noticeably upset but even so he continued into the village (or what was left of it). Garrus followed, having little other option. Now he was effectively demoralized since there was no way anything here could be of any help to him in getting off of this planet. The Protheans who had once lived here were long gone, how this had come to happen was impossible to ascertain. Fifty thousand years was a long time and even skeletons could have turned to dust by then.

"Great plan, Colonel!" Garrus shouted after the human, his anger evident in his voice. He had come all this way just to find out that there was nothing here but ruins? What a joke! So much had happened today and he was beginning to grow understandably angry towards it all…first it was getting stranded here, now it was discovering that he and Sommers were the only ones on this godforsaken rock. "Let's just come here and hope that there's someone left behind after fifty thousand years? Really great plan!"

Sommers turned around as Garrus approached, shaking his head. He still gripped the suitcase in his left hand while he stamped furiously on the ground, like a child having a tantrum.

"Shut the fuck up!" He shouted back, enraged, "I wasn't expecting this!"

"What _did_ you expect?" Garrus said. He found a stone column overgrown with creepers about half a metre in height nearby and sat down on it, using this as a chance to stretch his aching left leg. "Did you expect the Protheans to have some bustling metropolitan community? Did you expect to have a welcoming committee here waiting for you, with food and drinks? Seriously, Colonel, you're stupider than I thought."

Sommers groaned in a rather angered fashion. Garrus remained seated where he was, confident that he had made a point. Now all he had left to do was sit around and do nothing. He was not in any state to try and start finding a way off of this rock, especially when his leg was aching the way it was now.

"It's been fifty thousand years," Garrus said, feeling some anger as he realized the futility of his situation, "_Fifty thousand years!_ What made you think there would still be anyone here?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't look like the Reapers blew the shit out of them," Sommers said, "To me, it looks like the Protheans who were supposed to be here just packed up and left. Maybe they've moved somewhere else?"

Garrus sighed and shook his head. The Colonel was missing the point, a reaction which was to be expected when faced with the harsh truth. Colonel Sommers and Garrus Vakarian were alone on this far away world with only each other and the local wildlife for company. This was something that Garrus hated immensely.

"Colonel, they're gone," Garrus said. He stood up again, stepping towards the agitated human, hobbling along on his wounded leg as he walked. Sommers seemed to have calmed down a little and had removed a small pack from his jacket, one that he placed upon a nearby fallen stone column. He tipped the small bag upside down and out fell numerous odds and ends, including a pack of gum, a Swiss army knife and a few disc-shaped grenades. Sommers took the pack of gum and removed a piece, placing it into his mouth and chewing furiously.

"I'm not about to start walking around trying to find them," Garrus added. The thought occurred to him that he should just kill the Colonel now, get it over with. The Colonel was probably thinking the same thing and the turian could tell this much from the human's gaze.

"You don't need to walk around looking for them," Sommers replied, "I'm going and I don't want you to come with me."

"Where are you going to go?" Garrus asked, "There's nothing outside of this village except wilderness. You'll die."

"I won't die," Sommers said, "I'm pretty sure I can handle myself out there."

Garrus shook his head. The Colonel obviously had little clue as to what he would do: he had been relying on the Protheans to still be here and since they were not that left a gaping big hole in his plan. Now he would have to fend for himself and Garrus would have to do the same. He may as well accept the fact that he would be stuck here for a while and yet Garrus could not, especially when he thought of Shepard. She was still out there somewhere, probably desperately trying to find him. Her search would be near impossible unless she somehow found clues as to the location of this world from within the excavation site. Anything was possible.

"Why'd you bring grenades?" Garrus asked, nodding towards the few that had fallen out of the Colonel's personal little bag. The Colonel picked one up, armed it by pressing a button and turned around to face the river. Garrus almost stumbled backwards in surprise when he saw the Colonel arm the grenade but composed himself once he saw what the Colonel would do.

"Fishing," Sommers replied. He threw the grenade, letting it glide through the air before plopping into the water. A moment or two later and there was an eruption of water and dead alien fish from where the grenade had landed in the pond, accompanied by a loud _thump!_ More dead fish floated to the surface of the river and the Colonel strolled over to the bank, picking up a long stick from the ground and using it to pull the floating dead fish towards him.

Garrus stepped over to him, watching as he piled the dead fish on the grass by the bank.

"Make yourself useful and collect some firewood," Sommers said, delivering it as more of an order than anything else, "We're going to be eating well tonight."

"I don't think I can eat that stuff…"

"I don't care!" Sommers snapped, shooting the turian an agitated gaze, "I don't care what you can and can't eat, you dumb turian, because I can eat what I want! Just go out into those woods and get me some firewood, otherwise I'll just shoot you. I'm not in the mood to hear some whiny complaints out of you, okay?"

"Do you seriously want to start another fight?" Garrus asked, "Because that last one wore me out." He had a feeling that getting along with Sommers would be difficult, even if their chances of survival here were greatly increased if they worked together.

"You seem to be forgetting who has the gun," Sommers said, tapping the Magnum revolver that was in the holster at his waist, "So go out there, get some dry wood and come back here."

"Get it yourself," Garrus said, even though the idea of making a fire seemed quite the logical thing to do. A night out here would be damn cold, especially since there was little in the way of portable heating units, nor any place to plug them in.

Sommers swallowed and looked like he was about to explode again. However, he did not go for his weapon. Garrus could tell that the Colonel would not kill him…yet. They both knew that they would get by easier working together, even if the turian had effectively gone against this by telling the Colonel to get the fire wood himself.

The Colonel dropped the last of the dead fish and stood up, his face one of controlled rage. He brushed past Garrus and started walking out of the village with the obvious intention of getting the wood himself. Satisfied, Garrus sat back down on the short stone column and stretched out his left leg. The Colonel came back about ten minutes later, carting a large pile of dry sticks. He found a spot for them on the sand by the river and arranged them into a neat pile, surrounding them with stones he found lying around nearby before pulling out a cigarette lighter and setting the pile alight.

By now the sun had gone low in the sky, sending it a bright purple. Night was coming and the heat of the sun had decreased profoundly, sending a chill through Garrus despite the armour he wore. As Sommers worked at the fire, Garrus stood up and made his way to the nearest of the ruined structures. This one was just a stone corner wall with green creepers and weeds growing through it. In the corner behind, Garrus found a suitable place to sleep, taking a few minutes to tear out a large section of grass to act as a pillow.

He returned to the Colonel and the fire a few minutes later, watching as the Colonel had begun gutting one of the fish with a sharp combat knife. The fire burned strongly by now, the smell of burnt wood rather pungent in the immediate vicinity.

"According to what I read," Sommers said as he used the knife to rip the guts out of one of the bright blue dead alien fish, "A full day and night cycle here lasts about thirty hours. That means we have a long night ahead of us."

Garrus sat down by the warmth of the fire, stretching out his left leg. He looked towards the setting sun, unable to avoid thinking of Shepard. Even now he was beginning to miss her and think that he may not ever see her again. It was certainly likely that he would be spending a long time on this remote world.

"Are you going to have any of this fish?" Sommers asked, wiping the fish guts off of his hands before impaling the one he had just gutted on a pointed stick. He held it over the fire, leaving it to cook. His gaze went to Garrus. The turian was able to see the bruises and the cuts on Sommers' face far clearer now with the flames nearby, casting shifting shadows across the human's features.

"I'll probably throw up if I have any," Garrus replied, "But I'll try some, just to find out." _Nothing ventured nothing gained,_ he thought absently.

Sommers simply nodded in acknowledgement, letting the fish cook as a silence fell between the two of them. By his side was the suitcase, its shiny metal chassis glinting in the light of the fire. It was some time before the sun had completely disappeared, casting a cold and dark night upon the landscape. Stars filled the cloudless sky, providing a unique vista of completely alien constellations. Two moons were visible in the sky, both of them in a stable orbit around the planet.

Garrus had some of the fish and ended up feeling a little sick as a result. Sommers cheerfully had a whole one to himself, wolfing it down ravenously. At one point during the meal he got up and went to a nearby patch of exotic looking plants. This patch had once obviously been part of a controlled garden but had sort of broken free of its perimeter over the last fifty thousand years before they had completely overtaken the nearby plains. He returned with branches covered with smooth green leaves, saying that they had a herb-like taste to them. He tore the leaves apart and sprinkled the pieces upon the few more fish he ate during that meal. Garrus took some of the leaves and ate them without the fish, thinking that they would have a better chance of passing through his system. Throughout the meal he could only think that he would end up starving on this planet, although this thought was quelled when the smooth leaves seemed to ease the stomach upset from eating the fish. The leaves themselves had a smooth texture and a sweet, almost bittersweet, flavour. He did have some of the plant on another piece of fish but otherwise pulled through that meal somewhat demoralised. He was stuck here with Colonel Sommers and to add more insult to injury he could hardly eat anything of what was available.

Garrus went to sleep in the spot he had set up for himself by the stone ruins. Sommers dozed off lying by the burning fire, the suitcase clutched to his chest like a teddy bear.

* * *

Garrus dreamed of Shepard, of the talk with his father…And of his childhood and the constant bickering he had always had with his younger brother. It was things like that you often took for granted and now that his brother was dead…well, it felt like there was a mighty large chunk missing out of his life now.

However, Garrus was woken up at what must have been the dead of the night. The positions of the two moons had slightly shifted but otherwise the night sky was how he had remembered it before falling asleep, filled with a dazzling array of stars. Sommers remained fast asleep by the fire, the suitcase still clutched against him. He certainly would not be giving it up anytime soon.

Garrus sat up, feeling cold even through his armour. Sleeping in armour was not entirely comfortable but sleeping without it in temperatures like this would probably make him ill. The last thing he needed to add onto all of what had happened today was to get sick. He was contemplating constructing a makeshift bed out of leaves and such to accommodate what he knew would be a lengthy stay but he had not had time to do so. He would get started tomorrow morning, as well as begin to find a way off of this remote world.

There were noises and they were close, Garrus could hear them quite well. Where the rest of the night was eerily quiet there was an unnatural addition: the sounds of hurried footsteps, multiple sets of them. They sounded like restless children, scurrying around like children so often did. Garrus was immediately unnerved but not scared. Why would he be scared? He had been in far more frightening situations and he was not afraid of the dark.

The footsteps continued, as did the whispering voices. Garrus froze when he heard these, looking over the short stone wall next to him and into the centre of the ancient village. He could see nothing save for the burning fire by the river and Colonel Sommers fast asleep near it, the suitcase held close to his chest. That suitcase was something Garrus wanted to find out more about, if only to satisfy his own curiosity. There was no easy way to go about and do this though, especially since Sommers showed no signs of giving it up.

Murmuring voices, whispers…Garrus needed a weapon. He fumbled clumsily about in the dark, finding a sharp rock. Feeling it immediately brought some ease but he was still unnerved, primarily because he was unsure of what to make of what he was hearing. There were running footsteps, whispers he could not understand…And yet he could see nothing, unless he was looking in the wrong place.

The noises abruptly stopped. Garrus waited a few minutes, the silence of the surrounding wilderness unnerving him greatly. He shook his head, thinking that a mere few hours on this world had already made him crazy. Slowly he lay back down to fall asleep but he kept the sharp rock close at hand, just in case. He had a feeling that he would need it. Even as he began to doze off again, he could have sworn he heard something, a whisper…

"_Garrus,"_ it said. It was the only word that he heard clearly whereas all the other whispers were incomprehensible, coming off as mere noises in the wilderness. Garrus did not sleep easy after that, with the constant feeling that he was being watched…and not by Colonel Sommers since that human was asleep himself.


	10. The Rogue

**Chapter X: The Rogue**

It had been a few days since Garrus' disappearance. Commander Katelyn Shepard had been forced back into the usual routine of her job, including having to write reports about what had happened down on Virmire and Garrus' presumed fate. She was certain that the turian had been sent to some far away world but where exactly was impossible to determine. She had brought on board the Prothean crystals but nothing had been gained from them, except the obvious: they were crystals and they had a habit of shining in the light. These crystals remained enigmas to the engineers and technicians who were studying them. Even now they were running tests on them but were finding out very little. Everything about those Prothean ruins down on Virmire had been a mystery and operating the apparent portal was impossible without the stone Colonel Sommers had possessed. Where he had gotten that stone was anyone's guess.

Shepard wandered the corridors of the _Normandy_, outfitted in the normal blue Alliance uniform. Her expression was passive yet deep down she grew frustrated over what had happened on Virmire. It would have been different if she had seen Garrus die but he had not died, instead he was quite clearly still alive even if he was nowhere to be found. Sommers was probably still alive as well, if the pair had not killed each other yet. That was always a possibility.

Still, Shepard knew better than to give up in her search. They had been forced to abandon Virmire even if Shepard had had the feeling that she and her crew could have taken on the hostiles that had arrived. However, it turned out there was another reason why they had to abandon Virmire and any last hope of finding Garrus: a message had come from Admiral Hackett of Alliance Command, one that was apparently quite urgent.

Shepard entered the upper deck of the _Normandy_ and received a salute from the guard posted by the door she passed through. She took up her position before the galaxy map, manipulating the panel before her to open a channel with the Admiral. Whatever it was about was probably important.

To think that she would be unable to do much when it came to finding Garrus…she had tried her best down at the Prothean ruins on Virmire to find clues and had discovered very little. The location of the turian was unknown and even those who had worked alongside Colonel Sommers did not know where the portal had taken the two of them. It angered Shepard to think that all she needed was a location and she could have sent the _Normandy_ there immediately…and yet without even a hint as to where the pair had gone she could do nothing. The galaxy was a big place, filled with a lot of planets and much in the way of life. Trying to find Garrus with even a full fleet at the Commander's disposal would take a few hundred years, maybe more if they scanned every hospitable world and then some. There was no way to use deduction to find out where the turian had gone since they had no clues to begin with. Scanning random planets would be a useless gesture. What if the portal had taken Garrus and Colonel Sommers to another galaxy? There was no way to tell where it had taken them, except to a world that was hospitable and well-forested as made evident by the transparent image the "portal" had supplied. The more Shepard thought about it the more things began to piece together: Colonel Sommers had somehow discovered the location of a "safe haven" on an unknown world as well as discovering a means to get there. This safe haven could only be accessed via the portal, meaning that it was probably some world in unchartered space. And unchartered space was big and full of unfound worlds. To scan every one of them with just the _Normandy_ would take decades but Shepard was determined to do whatever it took to ensure that she found Garrus. She would not let the turian leave her life so soon after they had admitted their feelings for each other…to say she loved him was perhaps risky and she knew this but even so…

Admiral Hackett's stern voice broke her reverie as it filtered through the panel ahead of her. It was funny, Shepard thought absently, that Admiral Hackett gave her so many jobs to do and yet she had ever seen the man face-to-face once, after the attack on the Citadel. It had been an awards ceremony, one that Shepard had attended because she had more or less needed to. Garrus, despite having earned himself an award, had not gone and had instead stayed in his hospital room. Admiral Hackett had been an ageing man in his fifties, perhaps even his sixties with greying hair and weathered features. Now though the old routine of only ever hearing his voice had resumed and he sounded serious, as he often did, as his voice broke the relative quietness of this section of the bridge.

"_Commander Shepard, this is Admiral Hackett of the Fifth Fleet. I read your reports about your recent trip to Virmire. All very fascinating, but your request to send search teams out into unchartered regions of space to find the turian is impossible to fulfil…"_

"The turian has a name, sir," Shepard replied through gritted teeth. She had been expecting as much of a response but when it did come she could not help but feel angry. Sure, there was no way in hell anyone would bother trying to find one turian by scanning God only knew how many planets but it had been worth asking for anyway.

"_Regardless, Shepard, relegating a task like that to a large chunk of the fleet is impossible. I'm afraid that the turian, Garrus Vakarian, is to be officially declared as 'missing in action'."_

"Garrus was a valued member of my team," Shepard said, "We've been through a lot together." _Missing in action?_ Shepard knew only too well that "missing in action" was just another way of saying "missing, presumed dead." She was not going to give up trying to find Garrus, regardless of what Admiral Hackett said.

"_Commander, you should be used to such things happening under your command. Soldiers die and go missing all of the time. What we don't need is someone of your status and reputation wasting their time with a fruitless search for a single turian, especially when there are far more pressing matters at hand."_

"Pressing matters, sir?" Shepard frowned. "What sort of pressing matters?" She was used to people dying under her command, it came with the job. Not everyone she lead in battle could survive and she knew this better than anyone, especially with a title like the "Butcher of Torfan" stuck to her.

"_I didn't call just to talk about what you discovered on Virmire, Commander. Instead, I called because something interesting has come up. Something that you'll no doubt find interesting as well. Believe it or not, Shepard, but we believe it has something to do with those ships you encountered in orbit over Virmire."_

Shepard remembered the two ships that had been in orbit over Virmire as the _Normandy_ had departed the world. Both had been frigates and both had been Alliance built. What had been strange was how they had simply let the _Normandy_ leave, as if whoever was in charge of both ships had decided that the _Normandy_ was not their problem. Those ships had been sending troops down to the excavation site, hinting that that had been their objective and not the Commander or the _Normandy_. Even so, it was odd. Just plain odd, as Joker had commented as they had left the system.

"_There has been a series of recent deaths, all of them of people involved with what has been found to be a secret project that had been carried out by the turian military,"_ Hackett continued. Shepard stood and listened, vaguely interested and fully aware that yet another mission was about to be effectively thrown in her lap.

"_The turians, naturally, were trying to cover the whole thing up. However, after some political pressure they gave up some details of a top secret project that some of their highest level researchers had been carrying out, one that involved Prothean crystals much like the ones you found in the excavation site on Virmire. That's why I've brought this to your attention, Commander. The Council, in its weakened state cannot rely on regular Spectres at the moment especially after what happened with Saren. That's why they've told me to tell you that you have the case."_

"And what 'case' is this, Admiral?" Shepard asked. The Prothean crystals, at the time, had seemed like just a minor detail. But now, when it was revealed that they might be somewhat more important than originally thought she was quite interested. However, no matter how hard she tried to take her mind off of recent events she could not help but think of Garrus and the frustration involved with trying to find him.

"_About a month ago the first of the researchers died in mysterious circumstances. After that, the lead researcher, a female turian, disappeared without a trace. And since then all of the highest researchers in the project have been dropping off of the radar as if someone is specifically targeting them and eliminating them. I think that whoever is killing these researchers had discovered about what was on Virmire and they were the ships you encountered on your way off of the planet. There was one Prothean crystal that the project centred upon and that has since disappeared as well. The ones you collected on Virmire, Commander, were probably what these people were after. Somehow they discovered what the turians were doing with the crystal and wanted to claim it for themselves, as well as any other crystals that could find."_

Shepard frowned with thought. The simple trip to Virmire had since erupted into a full-blown conspiracy by the sound of it. There was the slight chance that finding out abut these crystals may provide clues to Garrus' whereabouts…it was a slim chance but a chance nonetheless. Shepard remembered what Colonel Sommers had said about people being after him. Maybe it was Cerberus who was targeting the researchers and claiming what had been discovered for themselves? It was not an implausible train of thought, especially considering Cerberus' pro-human tendencies which would explain why it was a turian research project they were targeting.

"Maybe it's Cerberus that's doing all of the killing, sir?" Shepard suggested, "Did you ever think of that?"

"_If it is Cerberus that means that humans are responsible. We may have more power than any other species as a result of what happened at the Citadel, but an incident like this could further hurt our image. That's why we need you to find out what's going on and take whatever measures necessary to remove the threat. However, the few details we have received hint that Cerberus may not be behind this at all. In fact, we have reason to believe that a rogue may be involved, especially when it comes to witness reports of one of the deaths of the researchers._

"_You see, Commander: most of the deaths of the researchers have been rather horrific. There have been about twenty so far of interest, all of them having been burnt alive."_

"Burnt alive?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. Sure, incendiary ammunition could do that to someone but even so why go to all of the trouble? Regular bullets would work just as well.

"_Yes Commander, burnt alive. All the cases like this have been the same: the person in question has been found as nothing but a charred corpse with no evidence of a struggle or of weapons discharges. That rules out incendiary ammunition and the lack of fuel rules out anything like petrol or oil. Whoever is doing this, Commander, has a liking for fire. And something tells me that Cerberus does not operate in this manner. The lack of any sort of evidence leaves the whole thing open to interpretation, but there were a few witnesses with one of the deaths that provides some information."_

"Such as?"

"_One salarian scientist involved with the project was on the Citadel, working in an office. Somehow the killer was able to get into the office undetected and kill the salarian. I'm forwarding you eyewitness testimonies and surveillance camera footage but it isn't much to go on. However, there is one solid lead we have for you: the man seen in the surveillance camera footage was last seen on the colony world of Hallian."_

"Hallian?" Shepard had only vaguely heard of the place.

"_It's the result of a cross-colonization effort between humans and turians in an effort to improve relations between both races. As you can imagine it hasn't gone well and the colony's become nothing but a backwater. The man in the surveillance camera footage we haven't been able to identify, so you'll have to try and find him the old fashioned way."_

"Which is?"

"_Asking around, Commander. That's the old fashioned way."_

There was a pause as Hackett forwarded all of the necessary documents to the terminal in front of the Commander. Shepard was somewhat bemused as to the nature of the mission, especially since it sounded quite different to any of her previous ones. Dead alien researchers, most burned alive? Prothean crystals? A backwater colony world? It sounded a bit complicated but she assumed that if it had not been how she and the crew had encountered those ships in orbit around Virmire she would never have been given the mission. There was still the top secret project to do with the crystals that Shepard was a little in the dark about.

"What was the project to do with the crystals, sir?" Shepard asked. There was a long pause as Hackett decided on what to say.

"_I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say, Commander,"_ Hackett said, _"Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."_

With that, Hackett closed the channel. Shepard took up a datapad and downloaded all of the forwarded files to it. She found it strange that the Admiral would not be able to tell her necessary information such as the nature of the turian's secret project, especially with her Spectre status. Then again, Hackett would only withhold such information if it was absolutely necessary.

On the screen of the datapad Shepard opened the surveillance camera footage of what had happened to the salarian researcher. It was a shot of a typical set office with windows to one side and some cabinets in one wall. The camera presented a view of a salarian seated at his desk, mostly side-on to the camera which looked down on him at an oblique angle. Seconds into the footage and the door at the end of the room slid open and a shadowy figure entered. Shepard was barely able to make out his face as he marched into the office. The salarian heard the figure enter and seemed to look on with surprise. The pair spoke briefly before the man seemed to turn around, having finished the conversation abruptly. He stood in the doorway for a moment and gazed back at the salarian. Shepard was quite surprised when the salarian's arms burst into flames, the alien staggering around and probably screaming in agony (the surveillance footage was mute). It was only a few seconds before the salarian's entire frame was alight and the man in the doorway simply turned around and left. Shepard stopped the footage there, preferring to not watch the salarian end up nothing but a smoking and charred corpse.

Another of the files provided was a close-up and enhanced image taken from the footage of the mysterious man's face: dark hair, blue eyes and an overall forty-year old appearance. He looked quite ordinary but even Shepard knew that it was often the ordinary looking people that could be the most evil. Not all bad guys had scars on their faces, deep voices and robotic limbs.

There was something that did not add up, primarily when it came to the salarian suddenly being set on fire. What had caused the flames? There was no visible fuel and it would have been hard for the salarian not to notice. Shepard dwelled on these thoughts carefully, deciding that she had probably dawdled enough. Putting the datapad in her pocket she tapped a button on the terminal before her and opened a direct link to the pilot.

"Joker, this is the Commander," Shepard said, "Plot a course for Hallian."

"_Hallian, Commander?"_ Joker sounded confused. _"I've never heard of the place."_

"Neither have I," Shepard replied, "That's why I'm forwarding the coordinates to your terminal." She manipulated the controls on the terminal before her briefly.

"_Got them, Commander,"_ Joker said after a moment's pause, _"Though, by the look of it we might be a day or two getting there."_

"Just get us there, Joker," Shepard said. With that she closed the channel and started back for her quarters, once again her feelings about the whole situation overtaking her. What about Garrus? He was out there somewhere, stuck with only a Cerberus agent for company. Why couldn't they go after him? Shepard knew that the search would be impossible but she was not just going to give up, not after all they had been through together.

It was these thoughts that were on her mind as she retreated to her quarters, locking the door behind her and sitting at her desk. As Commander she always had a lot of reports to fill out although at this time she did not have the heart to complete them. Instead she simply sat back in her seat and tried her best to forget about Garrus. It did not succeed. He had been snatched out of her life so abruptly that she had not even had a chance to say goodbye. She would find him eventually, she was sure of it.

* * *

It was his third night on the alien world with only Colonel Sommers for company and already Garrus Vakarian had begun to go crazy. At least, he was fairly certain he was going crazy. Every night he had spent here was often the same, with noises audible in the dark that otherwise should not be there.

The second day had been spent walking around the surrounding jungle, trying to find any clues as to what might have happened to the Protheans who used to be here. There was no evidence to be found, especially after fifty thousand years. The second night had been slightly more comfortable than the first since Garrus had taken off the armour he wore, leaving on the black under-suit and little else. He had ripped the soft padding underneath the armour off of the protective chassis, using it as a makeshift sort of bedding along with numerous wide shiny green leaves. It made a decently comfortable sort of bed and it certainly beat sleeping on the cold hard ground. Garrus did feel somewhat cold as a result of his lack of armour, thus he spent the next morning breaking apart smaller trees and using their branches to built a shelter which he then covered over with thick layers of jungle leaves.

Hidden amongst the ruins of the village was an ancient mirror…at least, it had once been part of a much larger mirror. Garrus had washed it in the river until it was almost as good as new, catching a glimpse of his face in its reflection. The dark blue paints that were on his face had begun to fade. Usually he would just apply more but he had no paints and thus no means to maintain the markings. Eventually they would fade away completely, leaving him looking like a typical "plain-faced" turian, one that seemed to disregard his tribal heritage. Then again, he figured he could live without them for a while until he found a way to get off of this planet.

His left leg ached somewhat, limiting the walks he took into the jungle and forcing him to take it slow with his work on building the shelter. He had to hobble along on a makeshift walking stick. The lunch of the second day had mainly consisted of the leftover and by now suitably smelly fish that Sommers had caught on their first day here, even though Garrus' turian physiology constantly disagreed with the meal. It was here that Colonel Sommers had begun to display somewhat unstable tendencies, tendencies that were exacerbated by the ones the turian had begun to show. Sure, being alone in a place like this could put anyone on edge but two days after arriving here and they were already beginning to go nuts. Garrus' dinner that night consisted of mostly leaves of the plants that could be found all around the ruined village. One walk during the evening had lead Garrus to find a rather flexible piece of wood, one that had carefully began to craft into a sort of bow. He knew that the Colonel was planning to kill him, it was obvious. Garrus would strike first and he would not ever let his guard down.

Most of that second night was spent by Colonel Sommers' sitting by the fire, the suitcase clutched to his chest while he sung quietly to himself. Garrus had been making the finishing touches to his shelter when he had heard a familiar voice, one that he had not expected to hear again for a while. He looked up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw who was standing a few metres away: Commander Katelyn Shepard, dressed in standard blue Alliance uniform. She smiled at the turian's surprised look and stepped over, her expression strangely reassuring.

"Shepard…" Garrus had said, having found it difficult to form a cohesive sentence, "You found me…"

Shepard seemed to ignore what he said and instead stepped close to him, wrapping one arm around the turian and feeling along the smooth scaly skin at his back.

"This is a nice look for you," Shepard said, "No shirt, just the pants…I like it. It suits you." She traced a finger across the fading dark blue tribal patterns that were painted across the turian's chest. Garrus felt his heart-rate increase somewhat as the Commander seductively felt along his slender but strong turian frame.

Garrus had put an arm around her in return and Shepard had fully embraced him by then. The turian felt a lump at the back of his throat when he realized just how great it was to see her again, to know that she had found him and that they could be together again. He did not want to cry, especially since it had been a mere two days here…although the time difference here and where the Commander had been was probably rather profound, especially since this world was far away from galactic civilization. No tears, he told himself. It had been a long time since he had last cried about anything.

"The Colonel is planning to kill you," Shepard said, "Maybe you should get him first."  
"What?" Garrus was surprised to hear her say this, primarily because it completely unsuited what they were doing now. One of Shepard's hands lingered at his waist, pulling on the elastic at the under-suit's trouser part.

"Kill him, Garrus," Shepard said, her tone seductive, "And then we can do whatever we want here. You and me, beneath the stars…It'll be wonderful. We'll do it as many times as you want, in as many different ways. We've done it before, but this time it'll be better. Much, much better."

"I…" Garrus struggled to speak. For some reason she was right: kill Sommers, especially since the bastard was trying to kill him. He would kill Colonel Sommers and he and Shepard could spend the night making love. It struck him that that was one hell of a good deal. "I think you're right, Kate. I'll kill him."

"Good," Shepard said simply.

Garrus blinked then and she was gone, like a phantom in the jungle. He could still feel her touch but she was no longer actually _there_ in front of him. She had vanished like a ghost, or a spectre…That last one was a cruel joke. She _was_ a Spectre, hence she had vanished like one. Garrus had reached one hand out then but could feel only empty air. Maybe if he killed Sommers she would return? It was an absurd notion and it had been then that he had realized that he had begun to go crazy. Maybe Sommers was suffering from it too, especially since he had been singing the same few lines of some human song again and again quietly to himself, clutching the suitcase to him like a teddy bear.

"_Every breath you take…and every move you make…every bond you break…every step you take…I'll be watchin' you."_

The third night was the one Garrus decided to keep watch on the Colonel. He knew that as soon as he fell asleep the Colonel would kill him and maybe even eat him as well. It was an absurd notion but Garrus could not shake the belief that Sommers would kill him if he slept. Garrus had spent the third day using his powerful talons to shape his bow. He had found a powerful but highly flexible plant and had used its stem as the "string" that would launch the arrows from the bow. He had tied it to the bow itself and had carved several arrows for it. Now he sat up in his makeshift bed, watching the Colonel while occasionally glancing into the darkness of the nearby forest. He could hear voices, most of which were incomprehensible and spoke in hushed tones. He thought he saw Shepard again, standing by the stone wall he slept behind, her face creased into a stern gaze. She wanted him to kill Sommers. Garrus did want to do that but part of his mind told him that it was not the right thing to do.

Sommers was singing a different song on this third night, again one human in origin:

"_Hello darkness my old friend…I've come to talk with you again…Because a vision softly creeping…left its seeds while I was sleeping…"_

Garrus' gaze went to the pitch black of the forest. Above the stars and the moons shone brightly, providing much needed illumination of the darkened landscape. On part of the stone wall Garrus had used a sharp rock to scratch a few notches, indicating how many days he had been here. Three notches represented three days and he had a feeling he would be adding more as days went by.

There was someone there, standing only metres from where he sat. Garrus raised his bow and fired into the dark on instinct, swearing to whatever higher power was watching over him that Saren Arterius had been standing there mere seconds ago. Alas, there was no one there and the skinny arrow zipped into the forest and became lost.

_You've got to get a grip on yourself, Garrus, _the turian told himself, _this place is making you crazy._

His mind was becoming increasingly blurred, his memories distorted and disordered. He thought that maybe he and Sommers were not alone on this world, that there were others here…perhaps others who were watching them. There was certainly that feeling of being watched and it consistently grew until Garrus was certain that he was being observed, by whom was uncertain. He could not sleep…he _would _not sleep. However, even sleep was something he could not avoid and as the hours wore on and the Colonel sang the turian dozed off. He awoke several times during the course of the night, thinking he could hear noises. Footsteps, whispers in the dark. He could see silhouettes against the light of the stars and the moons but those people he saw were not actually there…were they?

Garrus slept until late morning with the primitive bow held to his chest. His stay here was only just beginning and whether he liked it or not, things would only get worse.


	11. The Art of Eating Leaves

**Chapter XI: The Art of Eating Leaves**

_From the audio log of Garrus Vakarian, Day 7:_

_I've been making these log entries using my comm-unit in order to keep a record of my stay on this far flung planet. The power cells in it are just about dead anyway, so in a few days time I'll probably be unable to keep a record of what's been going on. Once the power cells are dead I'll be burying the comm-unit and maybe one day someone might find it, whoever they might be._

_I think I've finally begun to lose my mind. I don't know why or how, but it's happening. I'm seeing things that aren't there, hearing things that aren't there…I've no family history of mental illness, so I could be the first Vakarian to lose his mind. As the days go by it becomes more acute, the noises I hear and the things I see. Soon enough they'll appear as real to me as everything else in reality and when that happens I'll probably be unable to resist them any longer. I've seen Shepard here enough times and each time she's told me to kill Colonel Sommers. Each and every time. I can barely sleep at night with all the things I've been hearing and the lack of sleep has finally begun to take its toll._

_Sommers has been gone for a few days now. I have no idea where but I think its better that he remains out of my sight since I'll probably try killing him otherwise. Last time I saw him, he seemed far more insane than me._

_It's funny: I spend a week in the jungle and the next thing you know I've already "gone native". I've made myself a bow and arrow, I've been trying to hunt wild animals but even when I've finally eaten one it just gives me an upset stomach. I've taken up the art of eating leaves since they don't make me feel so sick. Sooner or later I'm going to begin losing weight from this vegetarian diet. Another thing I've been trying to find out about is a means to get off of this planet. There are no clues that there's a way off and it seems unlikely that there is any way to get off of this planet. I'm stuck here, destined to go insane. It's something about this place, I can feel it…It gets under your skin…_

Garrus Vakarian was looking rather weary after spending seven days on the remote jungle world. His dark blue face-paints had since faded over time, leaving him with what most turians would call a "plain-face". He was dressed only in the lower half of his armour's under-suit, revealing his upper torso and the strong muscles there. He sat alone in the Prothean village upon a short stone stool, his communicator held in his left hand. By the side of the stool was the primitive bow and a few arrows to go with it. In his other hand he clutched a branch of the plant with the smooth dark green leaves, the one he had spent most of his time eating. Rather absently he chewed another few leaves off of the branch before tossing it aside. His stomach rumbled, longing for more substantial and agreeable food. Unfortunately there was little here a turian could eat without feeling ill.

For a week he had been here, most of his night having been near sleepless. He felt exhausted and every muscle of his body ached, yet he knew he must remain alert at all times. The Colonel may come out of the jungle and try to kill him, hence why Garrus tried to remain alert at all times. Another thing the turian had to worry about were the increasing amounts of hallucinations, each one appearing far more real than the last. Last night he had seen Shepard again and the pair had proceeded to make love on Garrus' makeshift bed, only for the turian to wake up with a sticky mess across his lap and no sign of Commander Shepard anywhere. It was this sort of thing that made him angry, to think that his own mind was playing very convincing tricks on him. Never before had he experienced anything quite like it, seeing things that were so real but yet fake at the same time. It was something about this place, it held many dark secrets…

_It gets under your skin…_

The Colonel had disappeared on the fourth day, presumably into the jungle. He had taken the suitcase with him, leaving Garrus alone in the ancient Prothean village. The turian cared little about this and had been more than happy to have Colonel Sommers gone. Still, Garrus knew that he must keep alert since the Colonel might return and try to kill him. Before the Colonel had left the pair had been watching each other carefully, taking note of what the other did whilst plotting against them. Sommers had a gun but ammunition was very limited. Garrus had a bow, some arrows and the combat knife that he had been keeping in his armour. He had almost forgotten about it, primarily because he barely needed to use it. Garrus had been considering slashing the Colonel's throat while he slept and had been sharpening the combat knife's blade constantly. However, Garrus had soon decided that he could use his own talons for that and had been sharpening those instead. That way the killing would be far more satisfying.

Garrus had decided to keep record of what happened on his communicator, using his personal datapad to connect to it in order to store the audio logs he made. Unfortunately the power cells on the datapad were just about depleted and there certainly was not anywhere on this planet to plug them in and charge them up.

It was about morning here and the sun had begun its steady ascent into the sky. The two moons of this world were quite visible, one lower in the sky and closer to the planet than the other. Garrus had admired the sunrise this morning from his spot in the village, looking across the river and the marshy plains as he did so. For all the gripes he had with his situation, Garrus could be grateful he had ended up on a planet that was hospitable and not some barren wasteland. However, jungles like the one near the village were full of dangers and one of those dangers were the nasty bugs that fluttered around, biting things and spreading God only knew what kind of diseases. Garrus had a few sores on his upper torso from previous bites, his hardened turian exoskeleton doing little against some of the larger insects. Currently he felt a bit ill, perhaps as a result of some disease contracted from an insect or something he had ate, it was impossible to determine what exactly.

Garrus put aside the communicator and the datapad, unable to think of anything else he could say about what had happened here. He could always add things on as the day went by but otherwise nothing really notable had occurred in the last few days, save for the hallucinations and his sour attitude to the universe in general. Fate had stuck him here with only Colonel Sommers for company, if fate did exist. If it did then it was certainly quite cruel. Just when he and Shepard had admitted the feelings they had for one another and he gets snatched away from her in the most abrupt manner possible.

For breakfast this morning Garrus had eaten some leaves, as he had every other day of his stay here. Then lunch would probably consist of more leaves as well, followed by a dinner consisting of leaves. Such a monotonous diet could send anyone insane and Garrus had a feeling that he was already halfway there.

His left leg only ached mildly now, having since healed over the week. Now he could move more freely but he still needed his makeshift walking stick, if only to prevent all of the weight from falling upon his hurt left leg. Garrus could only hope that he did not fall over and hurt the leg anymore, otherwise all of the healing that had been achieved would promptly be cancelled out. He knew he needed to be fully mobile if he was to survive here, especially if Sommers decided to run out of the jungle and try killing him.

On the turian's agenda for today was another walk into the jungle, partly to find clues that could get him off of this planet and partly because he wanted to find Colonel Sommers. Garrus needed to be sure of the Colonel's state and whether the human had simply keeled over and died somewhere or had set up a home within the jungle somewhere.

As Garrus sat thinking about this he became aware of a loud beeping coming from his communicator. A wave of excitement flowing through him, Garrus picked up the device and put it to his ear. Maybe someone had finally gotten in touch with him? If so, that meant he could get rescued and maybe taken to a place where he could regain some of his lost sanity.

He was confused when he heard a familiar voice pipe through the communicator. He was even more confused when that voice turned out to be his own, save for the fact that he was not actually talking.

"_Garrus, it looks like you're in a bit of trouble,"_ the voice said, sounding uncannily like himself, _"Stuck on a planet, left to fend for yourself. And you're beginning to doubt your sanity…"_

The hope drained out of Garrus within seconds. The turian felt a wave of anger wash through him instead and as much as he would have liked to throw the communicator away, he was curious to see what this voice would say. It occurred to him that he was listening to his own voice, except that he was not actually talking. No, it was probably just another hallucination…it had to be.

"Who is this?" Garrus asked, realizing immediately that it was a stupid question.

There was a laugh on the other end of the channel, one that sounded just like _his_ laugh. Garrus felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to the malevolent version of himself talk and torment him.

"_You're never going to get off this planet,"_ the voice said, _"You're going to die here, Garrus. You're going to die here and no one's ever going to find you. I bet by the time someone's found you, you'll be nothing but dust. Dust mixed with the dirt so there's no way to tell you were ever here."_

"What do you want from me?" Garrus demanded. He clenched his left hand into a fist and it began to shake uncontrollably. He was beginning to get fed up with everything his tormented psyche was throwing at him. He needed to get off of this planet before he finally did lose his mind completely.

"_You're going to die, Garrus…Die, die, die, die, die…"_

The last word began to repeat itself, again and again and again. It was as if it was boring into the turian's mind with about as much subtlety as a pneumatic drill. It began to echo through his conscience, doubly more effective since it was _his_ voice that was saying it.

"_Die, die, die, die, die…"_

"I'm not going to die here!" Garrus shouted into the communicator, pulling it away from his ear. He stood up, still able to hear his voice filtering through it, growing louder and louder each time the word was said.

"_Diediediediediediediedie…"_ The past quickened and the volume increased until it was practically a mere buzz in the turian's mind, one that refused to go away.

"I'll show you, whoever you are!" Garrus shouted, "I'm not going to die here!" He threw the communicator with enough force to send it arcing into the pond. It disappeared with a faint _plop!_ The buzz in his head simply increased as a result and Garrus fell to his knees, trying to blot it out, putting his hands to his head and groaning as it refused to subside. The communicator had been his only means of making his audio logs and now that was gone he could no longer keep record of what was happening here. He doubted there was much else to report except his dwindling sanity.

The buzz continued to increase, filling his mind with an incomprehensible mess of noise and whispering voices and high-pitched sounds. Finally, Garrus looked towards the heavens and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"_STOP!"_

The noises stopped and Garrus collapsed onto all fours, whimpering quietly. Never in his life had he felt so powerless and vulnerable. Never before had he thought that his own mind would want to screw with him like this, sending him gradually nuts. What was wrong with him? He had been perfectly sane until the first night here and now he was seeing and hearing things with as much clarity as if they were actually _there_.

He slowly rose to his feet and picked up his walking stick with his left hand. Surveying the village around him he made sure that there was no one else here with him, real or hallucination. He knew that sooner or later his resistance against these hallucinations would be impossible to keep up and that eventually he would give into them, going completely nuts and living in some sort of fantasy world. Until then he could try and keep his sanity and try and find a way off of this planet, even if the search for a means to do this was obviously fruitless. He was stuck here, forced to go insane while living in constant fear of being killed by Colonel Sommers. Well, now he would try and find the Colonel again and when he found him he would kill the bastard before he killed him.

Garrus took up his bow and put it around his shoulder while attaching a bundle of about a dozen arrows to his waist. The arrows themselves were simply long sticks he had sharpened and made relatively narrow and cylindrical, giving each of them sharp points. He would be surprised if they even broke the skin. Still, it was better than walking into the jungle unarmed. He had his knife to fall back on if all else failed and if that failed then he had his talons. Sommers could not take away his talons.

Garrus began to walk, hobbling slightly on his left leg. He left the village behind once more and started along the tree-line, trying to work out what parts he had explored and what parts he had not. The river that ran by the village crossed through part of the jungle and it was here that Garrus stopped at the riverbank, taking the moment to kneel by the water and take a quick drink. The water tasted somewhat dirty, probably because of the dirt that was in it. He drank anyway, taking a minute or two before he had satisfied and stood up.

He froze when he saw who was across the river. Raising his bow and readying an arrow he took aim, barely fazed by what he was seeing. It was Saren, presumably another hallucination brought on by Garrus' dwindling sanity.

"You were there when Shepard killed me, Vakarian," Saren said. He had reached for the pistol in the holster at his waist. Garrus remained still, knowing full well that Saren was dead and that this was just another hallucination. Even so, part of his mind was telling him to kill the bastard again just to make sure.

"You're not really here," Garrus said defiantly, the arrow in the bow ready to fire. His grip shook involuntarily, giving away his uncertainty towards the situation.

"Do you want to be proven wrong?" Saren asked. He raised the pistol and pointed it at Garrus, his look one of typical malevolence. "You kill me and you're no better than me, Vakarian. You and Shepard are no better than most of the criminals you bring to justice. You're both renegades and you're both ruthless and prone to violence. No wonder you've fallen for each other."

Garrus let the arrow go, preferring not to take any chance. It got stuck in Saren's throat and the turian let out a surprised gasp before falling forwards and splashing into the river, the water around him turning a dark blue colour. Garrus lowered the bow and watched as Saren's body began to float downriver with the current in the most convincing and realistic way possible.

Either that encounter had been real or Garrus' hallucinations were becoming more and more realistic. Whatever had happened, Garrus felt satisfied to have killed Saren…again. He had delivered the final shot to the turian's head back on the Citadel about a week ago, after Shepard had talked Saren into committing suicide. To think that he had survived and come all the way out here…it was crazy. Then again, Garrus was fairly certain that he was going crazy so it made sense. Or didn't it? Nothing here made sense anymore, so Garrus decided that he would try and play along with whatever happened. Maybe if he got rid of Colonel Sommers he would be better off.

Garrus followed the river into the jungle, going deeper and deeper into the dark of the forest. Soon enough the trees were right up against the bank of the river, the thick canopies casting eerie dark shadows over the water. Garrus was forced to climb over uneven terrain, taking extra care as to not to aggravate his injured leg. Colonel Sommers could have been anywhere, but Garrus had a feeling that the human would stay close to the river. It was the only water source in the area.

It was some surprise then that Garrus stumbled upon the circular ditch. It was perhaps ten metres in diameter and overgrown with the plant with the silvery and smooth green leaves. The whole thing was packed full of the plant and it spread forth from the ditch, having spread like wildfire through the rest of the jungle. Why this was the case Garrus could not be certain so he trudged into the ditch, pushing aside tall examples of the exotic looking plant. Using his knife he cut away some of the branches that got into his way, digging through them towards the ground. Branches whipped at his bare torso and his face but he ignored them, suddenly overcome with the feeling that he was onto something.

He found metal at the very bottom of the ditch, rusted with age but still there. He dug away some more, cutting away any of the plants that were in the way. What he found could have been anything but he spent some time thinking about it anyway, stepping back in order to get a better view.

The ditch was an age-old crater, one filled to the brim with the silvery green plant. The tight clusters of this plant had left the metal object at the bottom of the ditch relatively untouched by the elements. Garrus took a piece of the metal pod away, finding it to be made of a black and somewhat heavy metal. It was unlike any sort of metal he had seen before and it reminded him distinctly of the metal the Reaper, _Sovereign_, had been made out of and that plenty of scientists had tried studying after the attack on the Citadel. This finding only supplied more questions than it did answers but Garrus took the small piece of metal anyway, trying to piece the puzzle together. It was not helped by the voices he could hear in the surrounding forest but he shut them out, ignoring them completely as he continued into the jungle.

It was several minutes of walking later that he finally came across some evidence of the Colonel. It was in a small clearing in the jungle where a makeshift shelter had been built out of sticks and leaves that looked big enough to lie in. It was rather flimsy but provided a better option than lying out in the open at night. There were the remains of a fire in the middle of the small clearing as well and Garrus bent down and put a hand to the embers, feeling that they were still warm. Colonel Sommers had been here recently. Garrus assumed that the human was out in the forest hunting since it seemed the logical thing to do at this time of the day. There was not much else to do here but hunt and build better shelters.

The turian continued through the clearing, taking note of how some of the undergrowth had been noticeably trampled on and pushed through. Following this trail of environmental vandalism, Garrus spent five minutes walking through the jungle before stopping when the trail ended. He became aware of a distinct silence in the area, taking a careful look around at his surroundings. He suddenly had that feeling again of being watched and carefully he crouched down in the undergrowth, pushing through it slowly and cautiously.

Colonel Sommers was around here, he could feel it. Garrus took out his bow again and loaded another arrow, peering through the undergrowth as he did. Someone was out there, he was sure of it. It could be another hallucination but there was no way to be sure…at least, not anymore. Garrus was becoming increasingly more used to the hallucinations and sooner or later he would accept them as real. When that happened it would be an indication that he had lost his sanity completely.

There was a rustle of movement up ahead. Garrus slowly edged his way forwards, passing a narrow and short tree. It was only a fledgling one, struggling to gather enough sunlight to get the energy to grow up and reach the canopy above. Sure, it was a mere tree…but what was at its base was something that made Garrus freeze where he was. A disc-shaped grenade was tied to the base and a near invisible wire went from it to the base of another tree a few metres to the turian's right. The Colonel was here alright and he ha set a trap.

Garrus almost jumped up in fright when there was a loud inhuman squealing noise from nearby, a small black four-legged creature racing past and scared out of its wits. Garrus was about to sigh with relief that it had been a mere wild animal but this was before he realized that in his fright he had shifted onto the wire, depressing it and arming the grenade.

The turian stood up and dived just as the grenade detonated. A thunderous roar erupted around him and dirt and leaves flew up high, raining down all around him. Splinters of wood exploded outwards from destroyed trees, some travelling at a dangerous pace. Garrus landed face-first into the dirt, an agonizing pain shooting up from his left leg. He rolled onto his back, rubbing the dirt from his face whilst managing a look towards his leg.

"No, no, no…" He spoke aloud to himself with despair when he saw what had happened. A large piece of splintery wood had embedded itself in his left leg, just below the knee. Looking at it was enough to send a spasm of pain shooting up from the wound and he groaned loudly. With one hand he reached towards the piece of wood, a piece that was perhaps as large as his hand, and pulled. He screamed as the splinter of wood dragged against the inside of the wound, setting off all sorts of agonizing pain. Clenching his jaw he pulled anyway, finally bringing it free and finding the bottom half sticky with his own dark blue blood. Smaller splinters had been left behind in the leg wound and he began to carefully pick them out, wincing each time a new one was plucked for the pain it caused was immense.

Colonel Sommers would pay for this, there was no doubt about that. Garrus wanted to score some payback for this, especially since his left leg had been healing after the fracture he had received a week ago. Now it was just as ruined as before, perhaps even more painfully so. The wound there could easily get infected without proper medical attention and unfortunately there were no doctors here. There was just him, Sommers and the environment around them. Wherever Sommers was he had to be near…he would not have set a trap like this if he was not close by.

Garrus heard a voice, a familiar one. It was Colonel Sommers and he was nearby, his tone a rather angry one as he appeared standing in a set of underbrush up ahead. Garrus reached for where his bow lay on the ground near him, sitting up and placing an arrow to the bow. Sommers did not seem to notice. The turian took note of how Sommers held the suitcase in his left hand and the Magnum revolver in his right. The Colonel's outfit was dirty, his face grimy and hair quite messed up. He had obviously been through as much hell as Garrus had. He might have even been suffering from vivid hallucinations as well, it was hard to tell.

"You dumb fucking turian!" Sommers shouted angrily, "That trap was for that animal, not you!"

"You were hunting an animal with a _grenade_?" Garrus asked, incredulous. He started to drag himself away, his left leg hurting far too much to be walked on. It was obvious the Colonel had begun to lose his mind…or it had happened already. This was something else that was hard to tell.

Sommers stepped forwards. Garrus raised the bow and arrow and fired impulsively, the arrow hitting Sommers in the gut and getting stuck there. Sommers yelled and Garrus could do little else but smile. Finally, he had killed the Colonel…

Colonel Sommers was not dead. Rather, he was incredibly angry and he raised the Magnum revolver in Garrus' general direction. The turian began to drag himself across the ground again, unable to quite believe his bad luck. He could barely walk now, not with such a gaping big hole made in his left leg. Dark blue blood oozed out freely while dirt and God only knew what else became stuck in the fleshy wound, making the pain flare up again.

By now Sommers had plucked the arrow from his gut. He threw it aside with anger and pulled the trigger on his Magnum revolver. Garrus yelled as a bullet found its mark in his right arm, sending a hot sharp pain shooting through him. The turian took a deep breath and struggled to rise to his feet, groaning in pain as he tried to put weight onto his left leg. He started to hobble away weakly, glancing behind him at the Colonel.

The Colonel seemed to have gotten over his brief bout of anger and had instead collapsed onto the ground, clutching his bleeding stomach. He still held the suitcase close to himself, not daring to let the precious item go.

Garrus fell over numerous times on his way back to the village. The pain at his leg and his arm was simply too much and as soon as he made it to the village he collapsed, his mind a haze of pain and unanswered questions. When he did come to hours later he took a dip in the river, trying to wash out the wounds he had received before coming to shore and crafting himself a new walking stick. Garrus returned to his makeshift bed and searched what was left of his armour suit frantically, finding a small portable first aid kit stored away in one compartment. Such an item was standard-issue on a combat mission and he was grateful to see it, ripping it open and taking out everything that was inside. There were no anaesthetics and instead he found a small container of medigel and some bandages. He used both on his leg wound and hastily bandaged it up before he used his combat knife to dig the bullet out of his right arm. It was difficult but he finally succeeded after several attempts. Once it was out of his arm he applied the last of the medigel in order to decrease the chance of the wound getting infected.

Finally, with all of this done he sat himself down on his usual spot in the village and retrieved the piece of dark metal he had recovered from the crater in the jungle. He stared at it for some time, fascinated. It would be a while before he could piece the puzzle together and until then he had to settle for living as he was, eating leaves and seeing things that were not there. In fact, he had reason to believe that everything that had happened since the attack on the Citadel might have been one long hallucination. Either that or it was just now he had begun to see things, but it was hard to tell.

He told himself he would get Colonel Sommers for what had happened. Garrus vowed that Colonel Sommers would die by his hand, not just for what had happened minutes before but for everything the Colonel had done: killing Garrus' brother, getting Garrus stuck here, being an overall asshole…Colonel Sommers would die. Garrus would tear out the man's throat if necessary using his own bare talons.


	12. The Dark Talons

**Chapter XII: The Dark Talons**

The idea behind the colony of Hallian came in the wake of the First Contact War. Relations between the humans and turians were shaky with neither race trusting the other. Hallian was a world on the border between Alliance space and Turian Empire controlled space, with neither race having colonized it. It was decided that in an effort to improve relations between both races that Hallian would become a joint-colonization effort, with humans and turians working together in order to build a prosperous colony. The planet itself was fairly barren but had much in the way of important resources to mine and refine, becoming an industrial centre for both races soon after it was colonized. At first the colonization had been going quite well, up until the world was practically forgotten about as soon as a colony was set up. Neither race could agree on the terms of governing the colony, having appointed their own governors to run things. These ruling parties would get into disputes quite frequently whilst doing little about the conditions in the colony itself. It was not long before the colonization effort was abandoned, leaving Hallian a backwater world that barely anyone knew about, unless they happened to live on the planet.

There was one main settlement located in a desert valley. Water sources on this part of the planet were few and far between, with most being underground. Hence there were many wells within the settlement as well as an advanced pipeline system that churned water out of the underground streams and into people's homes. The colony was large but somewhat of a backwater, appearing as a futuristic Old West town populated by a mix of humans and turians. Law enforcement was somewhat lax, leaving the local turian-run mercenary group, the Dark Talons, to keep law and order. They themselves were not awfully law-abiding either and had a habit of extorting locals for protection money and beating on innocent people. Neither the Human Systems Alliance nor the Turian Empire took any notice of what went on here, with either side thinking that it was the other's problem. As a result the colony was neglected and never mentioned in any meetings the upper echelons of either government might hold. Hallian had become a minor footnote in the grand scheme of things.

The spaceports on the outskirts of the settlement were usually taken up with traders and smugglers but this time around there was a new addition to the list of ships that had paid Hallian a visit: the SSV _Normandy_ had touched down earlier in the day, getting a spaceport to itself while the people who ran the colony kept a careful eye on it. It had been years since any Alliance people had arrived here so the arrival of the _Normandy_ became the latest buzz around town. That would probably explain why the few people who emerged from the ship received a somewhat cold reception from the locals.

Commander Katelyn Shepard emerged from the _Normandy_ outfitted in a set of white and grey light armour. She was only slightly interested in what the colony here had to offer, primarily because of the things that had been on her mind lately. Garrus was still missing and it had almost been standard two galactic weeks. She was even beginning to wonder if he was still alive, but she knew that a search for him would be nigh on impossible. He could be anywhere in the galaxy. Besides, the mission she had received from Hackett had links to what had been discovered on Virmire: Maybe it would provide clues to Garrus' location. It was a long-shot but it was the only hope she had now.

The spaceport was a dirty brown colour and the rest of the colony appeared to share this look. The _Normandy_ was locked into place with typical docking clamps, the docking tube leading onto a catwalk that was some height off of the base of the spaceport. Below on the ground was where the working crews did their job, refuelling the ships and carting around equipment in order to prepare the docks for the launch and landing of ships. The docking fees here was rather expensive, something that Shepard attributed to the organization that was running the colony.

With her was Urdnot Wrex and Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Both looked the way that Shepard was feeling: somewhat uninterested. Here they were on some backwater colony world with only a slight lead as to who they were supposed to be looking for. There had been something unnerving about the mysterious man in the surveillance camera footage Shepard had watched. It was also unnerving most of the deaths that had been caused had been done with fire: what the hell was so fascinating about burning someone to death? It struck Shepard that if the mysterious man on the surveillance footage had something to do with it then he was probably the sick psychopath with the fascination with fire. Some top secret project was having its researchers killed or abducted and Shepard had been tasked to find out who was doing it and why. The only lead took them here to Hallian. Now Shepard could do little else but ask around and try and get some information on what could be happening and if the man in the surveillance footage was around. Chances are the locals here would not be willing to talk to Alliance people or Spectres for that matter. It occurred to her that this would be one difficult assignment.

It was some surprise to see a few people waiting for them as the trio exited the ship. There were three of them: a rather important looking turian with a mostly dark brown face and black facial markings who was dressed in a suit of mostly white and black armour, flanked by a turian mercenary and human mercenary, both of whom were dressed in similar armour. The lead turian regarded Shepard, Wrex and Kaidan carefully as they stepped forwards. His eyes were a dull grey colour, world weary and very observant.

Shepard saw the insignia on the shoulders of the trio's armour suits and figured that these three were with the local mercenary group, the "Dark Talons" as they were called. Usually a turian-run organization such as that would not hire humans but she figured that here on Hallian things were different. According to what she had read about the planet, the population here of humans to turians and vice versa was roughly equal.

"It's been a long time since any Alliance people have come here," the lead turian said, his voice carrying the distinct "flanging" sound that all members of the species had, "And there's never been any Spectres here before. Something tells me you have a very good reason for coming here, otherwise you would not be wasting your time with this world. I myself know how much of a backwater it is, something I've taken advantage of over the years." He had an almost gentlemanly demeanour and as he spoke he briefly regarded the talons on one of his hands, picking at one carefully.

Shepard could tell that this turian was in charge of the Dark Talons. It was obvious that he had been in charge for as long as the organization had existed on Hallian. He probably had a lot of money and a lot of protection from the many enemies he would have made throughout his career. No doubt he had killed and blackmailed his way to the top as most people like him would have.

"My name is Kaslin Kevkas," the turian said, holding out one hand in an effort to shake. Shepard ignored it and the turian retracted the hand slowly, not at all fazed by the Commander's hostility. "You must be Commander Shepard, first human Spectre and hero of the galaxy. Something tells me you did not come here for a vacation."

"Vacation's the last thing on my mind," Shepard replied, narrowing her gaze, "Besides, I don't know why I'd bother taking a holiday on a backwater like this."

Kaslin chuckled while his two bodyguards seemed to relax slightly. They had probably been expecting trouble and had been prepared for such an eventuality. Shepard took note of the weapons the two bodyguards carried, as well as the three other similarly armoured and armed mercenaries waiting further down the catwalk. Kaidan stepped closer to the Commander, whispering carefully:

"I don't trust this guy, Commander," he said, "There's something about him…"

"You probably don't trust me," Kaslin said abruptly. Kaidan fell silent, made uneasy by the way this turian seemed to know what they were all thinking. "I wish to build a trust between us, Commander. You are no doubt on Hallian for a good reason and I wish to help wherever I can. When I heard that a Spectre was coming…"

"How did you know I was coming?" Shepard asked. Kaidan was right: Kaslin could not be trusted. No mercenary like him could be trusted but if it would get her the answers she needed to complete the assignment then she may _have_ to trust him. She had worked with scum before and she had killed plenty of mercenaries like him in the past. Right now she would just have to play along with whatever he had planned for her, whether that be telling her what she needed to know or warning her to get off of the planet.

"Someone in my position has to keep tabs on those who come and go from the colony," Kaslin said, "Especially when they are as important as you, Commander. I'm fascinated to hear about some of your exploits, as I'm sure a lot of other people are. It seems that since what happened at the Citadel, you've developed quite a fan club. What better way to develop a trust than with an ordinary conversation?" He paused, noticing Shepard's harsh gaze. "Do you always look so serious, Commander?"

"Only when I'm faced with someone like you," Shepard replied, "I don't know whether I should talk to you or kill you."

"Killing me would be unwise," Kaslin replied, sounding a little smug as he said it, "Since every mercenary I command here in the colony would come after you. That's quite a lot, Commander. And you may be thinking that you've killed plenty of our type in the past and that some more won't be much trouble. However, such thinking would not be clever: I've made sure to equip my men and women with the most advanced weaponry available. You would stand little chance against such a well-equipped army, Commander."

Shepard remained unfazed. She had a feeling that this conversation would soon become a game to see who could faze the other first. Shepard and Kaslin were evenly matched, barely worried about what the other was saying and implying. It was obvious that Kaslin expected trouble.

"I hope it won't come to an all-out battle, Commander," Kaslin said, "I wish for your stay here to be as peaceful as possible."

"So do I," Shepard said. Somehow she doubted that this would be the case.

"Good to hear, Commander," Kaslin replied. He took a brief look around at the spaceport, considering what to say next. He returned his gaze to the Commander a few seconds later. "This is not the place to talk. No, we'll go to my office. It's only a short walk away and is far more comfortable than standing out here in a spaceport that reeks of eezo. Follow me, Commander."

Kaslin turned around, flanked by the two bodyguards as he started along the catwalk. Shepard exchanged glances with Kaidan and Wrex before the trio began to follow. The catwalk ended at a door into the spaceport's facilities and the group passed through it into a corridor, one that took them down a few flights of stairs and to ground level. Moments later they were out on the street.

The street was lined with buildings, the highest being about six storeys high. There was little traffic and numerous pedestrians, either human or turian and none of the other races. Shepard did receive some odd looks from some of the locals as she walked by but she ignored them, having been used to getting this sort of attention. On colonies like this the locals could be somewhat hostile to outsiders. The weather was cool but not cold, warm but not hot…it was just right. The sun above was high in the sky while three moons of differing sizes were clearly visible.

There were also mercenary patrols on the street, presumably there to keep law and order. They saluted Kaslin as he walked past before returning to their patrols, not afraid to push past pedestrians if only for the fun of it.

At the end of the street was a large modern-looking estate. It was perhaps the most expensive building in the colony and was patrolled by many Dark Talon mercenaries. Kaslin was let through without trouble but Shepard was stopped, as was Wrex and Kaidan. Kaslin turned around and looked at the trio carefully.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to relinquish you and your friends of weapons, Commander," Kaslin said.

Shepard frowned. No weapons? She was a Spectre and she did not need to adhere to Kaslin's stupid rules.

"And I've got the authority of the Council on my side, Kaslin," Shepard said sternly, "I don't need to give up any weapons."

Kaslin pondered this for a moment. Reaching a decision he simply nodded his head.

"Then you must come in alone, Commander," the turian replied, "Your friends must wait outside."  
Shepard glanced over at Kaidan. He just shrugged, not in much of a position to complain. Wrex was looking serious as usual but was otherwise impossible to read for emotions.

"We'll wait out here, Commander," Kaidan said after a brief silence, "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine."

"Why alone?" Shepard asked. She was not about to play along with this turian's conditions until she knew the extent of what she was getting herself into. No doubt he and the rest of the Dark Talon organization was involved with the man Shepard had been assigned to track down, it was just that neither she nor Kaslin had mentioned it to each other. At least, Shepard thought that he might know something…either that or she was just getting too paranoid. The stress of recent events had not faded and would never disappear entirely. Garrus was somewhere out in the galaxy and he was alive, Shepard just knew it. How she did she could not be sure of, but when she had a feeling like this she did not ignore it or try to disprove it.

"Because I wish to talk to you in private, Commander," Kaslin replied. The gate in front of him opened into the grounds of the estate. He started walking towards the expensive mansion and Shepard had little other option but to follow. "Besides," Kaslin added as they walked, "If you decide to start trouble you'll be by yourself. The guards here should have little trouble taking down a single human."

Kaslin did not even look back as he said all of this. Shepard frowned slightly but did not really care, thinking that she would not get a reason to "start trouble". As much as she wanted to get rid of mercenary scum, she figured it could be put off until a later time when a better reason turned up.

The front door slid open as the pair approached. Beyond was an entrance lobby adorned with much in the way of turian décor, including old vases and a few old banners displaying the insignia of one of the many turian colonies that dotted the galaxy. There were a few guards standing around, weapons slung around their shoulders. Most appeared to be slacking off. The carpet underfoot was undoubtedly expensive and was a beige colour, matching with the overall colour scheme of the lobby. Kaslin went up a flight of stairs ahead and Shepard followed, looking around the expensively done-up interior with a careful gaze. Kaslin must have been doing pretty well for himself if he could afford this sort of thing. On the wall at the height of the stairs was a glass case containing what looked to be an ancient turian blade weapon, etched with intricate tribal patterns and a specially made grip for a normal turian hand.

No doubt Kaslin saw himself as the most important person in the colony. There were no Alliance people here in the colony, having abandoned it years before. The turian government had done the same, leaving the Dark Talons to run things. Neither the Alliance nor the Turian Empire could care much about what the state of the colony was, especially since either side thought it was the other's problem.

Kaslin lead Shepard down a short hallway and into a large office, complete with an expensive desk and cabinets on the wall filled with costly artefacts from turian history. Shepard stopped in the doorway at the sight of what she figured was a mere turian child, a female. She was dressed in standard beige clothing and seemed to be looking at one of the displays. The females of the species were somewhat slenderer than the males, with wider hips and more pronounced fringes. This young female turian had little in the way of a fringe, since the horns were relatively short. She could not have been more than seven years old.

Kaslin's gaze seemed to light up as he saw her. The female turned around and saw Kaslin, smiling broadly and running into Kaslin's open arms. He lifted her up without effort.

"Daddy…" The turian girl began. Kaslin interrupted her gently but with a stern tone underneath.

"Jilias, what have I told you about coming into my office without permission?" Kaslin said, "This is where daddy keeps his business running. I know you only wish to look at the displays, just make sure you ask me next time, okay?"

Shepard watched, an eyebrow raised as father and daughter talked. She had not been expecting Kaslin to be a family man, but it struck her that just because he ran a mercenary organization it did not mean he could not raise a child. Rather absently, Shepard wondered where Kaslin's wife was. It was only slightly surprising when she heard the footsteps behind her, swivelling around to find an adult female turian standing in the doorway. She was dressed in expensive and mostly light blue robes, her face a bluish-grey colour. The colours reminded Shepard of Garrus and she immediately began to miss that turian again. For a time her mind had gone off of the matter of Garrus' disappearance but now she had been reminded of it, leaving her in a rather downbeat mood.

Kaslin put his daughter down and looked towards his wife, who had just come in. The adult female walked over and she and Kaslin gently put their foreheads together, a show of affection for their species. As soon as they broke from it the adult female nodded in Shepard's direction.

"Who is she?"

"Commander Shepard. I wish to speak with her, that's why I need you to leave. Now, please, my sweet." Kaslin eyed Shepard wearily. His wife took the hand of their daughter and left the office. Shepard took note of the rather annoyed look on Kaslin's wife's features. Once they had left the office, Kaslin closed the door. He turned around to face Shepard, whatever emotions he had been feeling in the presence of his family now gone. Now it was all business, whatever that business was.

"Who were they?" Shepard asked for clarification.

"My wife, Lisik, and my daughter, Jilias," Kaslin replied. He strode over to his desk as he spoke, stopping by the chair. "I presume you do not have a family, Commander?"

"No, I don't," Shepard replied, "The line of work I'm in makes it difficult to try doing that sort of thing. Besides, I don't know if kids are for me…"

"I thought as much," Kaslin said, pulling the seat away from the desk, "What time does the Butcher of Torfan have for children? None, I presume."

Shepard frowned at this remark but said nothing. Kaslin sat down at his desk and tapped the talons of his right hand impatiently on the desk. He leaned back in his chair and used his left hand to lift up the computer terminal out of the desk, flicking a switch which in turn sent orange holographic displays across the mostly transparent terminal.

"I have a few things I wish to discuss with you, Commander," Kaslin said, "Firstly, I want to know why you're here exactly. The presence of a Spectre here on Hallian is unprecedented. We have always prided ourselves on being an out of the way, ordinary planet with somewhat ordinary citizens. The colony here runs smoothly and my men and women in the Dark Talon mercenary organization keep the law and order. To see a Spectre, and a very well known one at that, walking the streets has already stirred up some trouble. There are some of my associates who want to get rid of you and others who want to hire you to take care of some of our 'dirty laundry', as you humans would call it. I, on the other hand, wish to determine all of the facts I can about you and why you are here before I make a decision."

"Get rid of me?" Shepard asked, frowning, "Let me guess: that involves killing me?"

Kaslin just nodded. "Don't worry Commander, I've talked those aforementioned associates out of doing that drastic action. Besides, we have no reason to kill you. I recommend that you do not give us reason, otherwise you will have a whole mercenary organization gunning for you. Even with your training and your allies, I doubt you can handle two hundred and something mercenaries at once. And I can simply have one of my men who work at the spaceport to put a bomb on your ship. As you should understand, Commander, I have much power here on this planet."

"I could gather that," Shepard said. A bomb on her ship? Two hundred mercenaries? She wondered if Kaslin's wife and daughter had any idea about the true nature of his work. It would be hard not to notice, especially with all the armed guards walking around. Shepard would not be surprised if Kaslin's wife had simply married him for the money.

"And now I want to know: what brings you here, Commander? Why have you, of all people, come to Hallian? There is nothing here that interests you, surely? Unless you have come for me? I understand that I have many enemies, something which is unavoidable when in my line of work. You yourself probably have plenty of enemies…"

"Yeah, I do," Shepard replied. Did she have a lot of enemies? Well, she supposed she did: she did not exactly count how many people and organizations she pissed off during her missions and assignments across the galaxy. Shepard assumed that it was a lot of people.

"But I haven't come for you," she added, "Hell, I didn't even know you existed until today."

Kaslin nodded. He seemed satisfied with this answer and used one hand to manipulate the holographic displays in front of him. He brought up a file on the Commander, one that did not appear to have been censored. As of becoming a Spectre, everything the Commander did was recorded in secret high-level records. All her reports, all that information about the Reapers and the Prothean beacons…That was all top secret. And yet Kaslin had access to it, Shepard could see this much: there was even a picture taken at Virmire visible on the displays.

Kaslin noticed her slight bemusement. He smiled as he scrolled through the information, skimming through it at a fast pace.

"I have many sources, Commander," Kaslin said, as if to reassure her, "These Reapers…and the beacons? All of it makes for a very interesting read. Very interesting indeed." He stopped, looked up and took his hands away from the holographic displays. "Tell me, Commander: What is it that brings you here? If you're not here for me, then why are you here? Surely you did not come here for a holiday? Hallian is far from a popular vacation spot."

Shepard supposed she had better get to the point. If there was anyone on this planet with the information she needed then Kaslin was that someone. She fished the datapad containing the relevant images of the mysterious man seen in the surveillance footage, as well as information concerning the many dead researchers. She handed it to Kaslin who took it with a careful gaze, skimming through the information on the datapad.

"The man I'm looking for was last seen in this colony," Shepard said, "Something tells me that you've met him, seeing as you probably know all the important people in this colony. Tell me: who is he?"

"Who is he?" Kaslin frowned as he said this and handed the datapad back to the Commander. "I'm afraid that man has since left the colony. Where to, he did not say. Nor did he supply his name."

Shepard sighed. _So much for coming to Hallian_, she thought. She looked at Kaslin carefully, trying to work out if he was telling the truth. Turians were not as easy to read emotions from as humans were but there was a hint of something…perhaps a glint in the turian's eyes, Shepard could not be sure. He was lying: Shepard had not gotten this far in the military without learning how to determine what people were thinking just by looking at them, even from turians.

"Right," Shepard said, putting the datapad back into a compartment in her armour.

"If that's all you came here for, Commander," Kaslin said, "Then you have wasted your time." He paused for a moment, looking up at the Commander expectantly. "Now, if you could kindly show yourself out, I have some things to do."

Shepard nodded. She would be back, she knew this much. And she would not be leaving Hallian so soon either. Kaslin seemed to be waiting for her to leave and so the Commander turned around, walking towards the door and opening it. She managed one last look at Kaslin before leaving, knowing full well that she would be back. This assumption was right: she would be back.

* * *

Kaslin Kevkas was quick to act once Shepard had left. He made sure she was gone by bringing up the view from one of the outside surveillance cameras on his desk's computer terminal. He waited for her to have left through the estate's front gate before Kaslin did what he knew he had to do.

Kaslin had always prided himself on being independent and always in charge. He disliked following orders and preferred to be the one giving the orders. It was this reason that his time in the turian military had been somewhat short-lived. Naturally the people who had gotten him his position in the military had been blamed for when he had struck a superior officer but Kaslin had left on his own accord anyway. He had become a mercenary after that, working his way up the ladder to finally become lead of an organization like the Dark Talons. He was in charge of Hallian and he liked that position: he would do anything to keep it, even if that meant taking orders from someone he had only met mere months ago.

This someone was human and came with many advanced weapons technologies on offer. This human's name was Roland Halverson and he had once been a Captain. He said that he required Kaslin's help and the turian had at first been unsure. However, Roland Halverson could be very persuasive, especially since that first meeting had ended up with Kaslin getting burns all across his right arm. They had since healed over but the scars would be with him for life. There was something about Roland that unnerved Kaslin and made the turian quite willing to work with him. And there was the fact that Roland had threatened Kaslin's family, something that was always enough to make even the toughest turian cave under the pressure.

Roland had supplied a communicator that was apparently capable of transmitting directly to the human and back again, regardless of where he was. However that worked was beyond Kaslin's comprehension. Still, he brought out the communication device that he had been given, retrieving it from a desk drawer. It was disc-shaped and about an inch thick, made out of a smooth hybrid of stone and metal. There were too many things about Roland Halverson that Kaslin did not like but he preferred not to think about them too much.

The device activated from Kaslin's touch. A strange, high-pitched whine came out of the weapon followed by a faint buzz. This buzz continued all throughout the conversation. Apparently Roland was out on a ship looking for something important. He had left Kaslin in charge of the operation that Roland had set up on Hallian.

"Captain Halverson," Kaslin said, his tone level, "Can you hear me?"

"_Yes, I can hear you, old boy,"_ the human replied, his voice emerging from the device. There seemed to be no speakers on the device itself, it was as if Halverson's voice was coming from nowhere, _"Has something come up?"_

"Commander Shepard just left my office," Kaslin said, "She showed me some pictures of you and asked if I knew who you were."

There was a pause as Roland considered the notion. His voice came back as not at all worried much to Kaslin's surprise.

"_You didn't tell her anything, did you?"_ Roland asked.

"No, Captain, I didn't," Kaslin replied. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had been expecting Roland to have another one of his quite volatile outbursts.

"_Good. I suggest you keep tabs on her until she loses interest, since something tells me she won't just give up on your word. Don't worry about a thing, though, Kaslin: I'll be back in a few days, perhaps a week and I'll have what I'm after."_

"That's good to hear," Kaslin said, although he was not really looking forward to Roland's return. If that human had found what he had gone out looking for then Kaslin had a feeling that things would only get more complicated.

"_Chime in again when you have anything else important to tell me,"_ Roland replied. With that, the device shutdown and Kaslin was left at his desk wondering just how the device worked. The buzz was gone and the device was inanimate, appearing as a piece of useless junk. Kaslin picked it up and stored it back into a drawer at his desk, still unsure of just what Roland was planning.

Kaslin stood up and left his office. He found his wife, Lisik, in the hallway outside of the bedroom. She was carefully straightening up a wall mounted display when her husband snuck up from behind. Kaslin knew that there was no better time to take his mind off of things than spending some quality time with his wife.

Lisik was annoyed, Kaslin could see this much. With one taloned hand he gently felt along the side of her neck, putting his head close to hers. He nipped her slightly at the neck with his mouth and she tensed up.

"Now isn't the time…" She said rather sourly. Kaslin ignored her, putting his tongue to the hard scaly skin at the side of her neck. He playfully licked down the side, knowing full well that this sort of move was one she could not resist.

"Don't be angry at me, my sweet," Kaslin said, turning her around with his arms so that they were face to face. Their eyes met and there was some noticeable annoyance on his wife's face, although there was a glint in her eyes that said something else as well.

"I have work to do and I do not wish for you to become involved," Kaslin continued, "I'm sure you can understand that. The trouble is, my work will often take up much of my time. I don't like it, but it's the only thing that brings us the money we need to keep up a good home such as this and keep our daughter happy." He put a hand to her stomach, feeling the slight roundness at the front. "And I hope that I'll be getting a son, soon enough. As much as I love our daughter, she cannot continue my work after I am gone. A son, on the other hand, will be able to."

"I have a right to be angry at you," Lisik replied rather sourly, "It seems that in recent months you've been barely giving me any time. Instead you'll spend the day in your office or in the settlement before coming home and hoping I'd be more than willing to jump into bed with you, despite the fact you barely talk to me anymore."

"You are always willing," Kaslin replied, "And now that I finally have some time to talk you're angry at me?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"How about you and I talk about this later?" Kaslin asked. He reached down and put an arm under his wife's knees, lifting her up with relative ease. As angry as she was, she did not complain as Kaslin took her into the bedroom. What they did next was enough to take Kaslin's mind off of recent events entirely.


	13. Paradise Lost

**Chapter XIII: Paradise Lost**

Seventeen days of hell on this remote planet and Garrus Vakarian had had just about enough. He was prepared to seek out Colonel Sommers once more and kill the bastard and he was also prepared to do anything, absolutely anything to spare him from the torments his own mind was giving him. He had given up on finding a way off of this planet and he had given up on ever seeing Commander Shepard again. To think that he had been snatched from her so abruptly without even a chance to say goodbye…it was depressing, yet he could do little about what had already happened.

The bandages around Garrus' left leg had since become dirty and the wound there was beginning to hurt more and more. Even the slightest touch and it would erupt in agony, making walking on that leg far more difficult than it had ever been before. The turian had lost some weight during his stay but not enough so that it was overtly noticeable. He had sharpened his talons so that he would not need to rely on his knife to kill somebody. He knew that using his talons as a weapon was uncivilized but he no longer cared: he was the only turian on this planet and so he could do what he wanted. He figured now that seventeen days here could send anyone crazy and he knew he was going down that road, with increasingly vivid hallucinations and more and more thoughts concerning killing Colonel Sommers. It seemed a safe enough bet that he had become a savage, barely recognizable to the Garrus Vakarian that had arrived on this planet. Garrus had been stuck wearing the lower half of his armour's black under-suit which was now caked with dirt and smelt quite bad. He did try and wash himself in the river every now and then but the water there was dirty so he may as well have been washing himself with dirt for all the effect it had.

He sat by the river, his left leg stretched out as to avoid aggravating the wound there. In one hand he held the piece of black metal he had recovered from the crater days before, still unable to work out where it was from and what it meant. He still could not understand all that had happened, especially when it came to how he and Sommers had ended up on this planet: portal technology was practically unheard of. Even so, he and Sommers had pretty much been teleported here, destined to be sent crazy by the planet itself. It was as if nature had it in for them, subjecting them both to hallucinations that grew in vividness as the days went by. Garrus had been subjected to so many that he was beginning to have trouble discerning what was real and what was not. He knew that was a sure sign of growing insanity but for some reason he did not really care.

He sat looking over the piece of black metal, knowing that there was plenty more in the crater he had found days before. In fact, there was probably the wreckage of a whole ship down there or at the very least some kind of pod. Putting the metal aside, Garrus reached over to a nearby plant and pulled a branch off before chewing on the leaves with reckless abandon. Regardless of the taste he ate them anyway, knowing that they were partly responsible for having kept him alive during his stay on this planet. He had a feeling he would be on here for much longer.

Garrus looked up at the bright blue sky, taking in the moons and the sun. Maybe there were ships out there somewhere but if so there was no chance they would find him or Sommers. They could fly right by this planet and not be able to detect the two life signs that were not wild animals. There was no way to determine the difference unless ultra-sensitive sensors were being used and even then it would be difficult. The _Normandy_ could fly right by and no one on board would realize that Garrus and Sommers were down on the planet below. It infuriated Garrus to think that rescue could be so close yet so far at the same time. As he thought about this he was struck with a sudden bout of rage and he flung the half eaten branch of leaves off to the side.

There were still a few unanswered questions that bugged Garrus. What had happened to the Protheans here? It appeared to him that they had all simply packed up and left or they had disappeared without a trace. And why the hell was he seeing things? There had to be a reason. The first one that cropped into his mind was that it had something to do with this place, as if it was cursed or something. Curses and other superstitious stuff like that had been something Garrus had never believed in. He was a realist and he did not need to worry abut dodgy superstitions but even so there was something that did not add up about this place. Then again, there were a lot of things that did not add up about his situation. Again he felt annoyed, knowing now that he was destined to die on this planet without ever seeing Shepard again. He was stuck here and there was no way he could escape, no way at all…Perhaps such thinking was rather downbeat but he knew it to be true. He had been defeated and never in his life had he been a defeatist but now…

He may as well have ended this torture now but he decided against it. Suicide was not something he would contemplate until it was deemed to be absolutely necessary. The last thing he needed to do was kill himself as a rescue ship arrived since that would suck immensely.

Garrus was thinking through all of this when he heard footsteps nearby. Looking up, he almost sighed when he saw Shepard approaching. She was dressed in standard blue Alliance uniform, looking as she always did. The turian was beginning to tire of seeing things but he had resigned himself to whatever hallucinations he would be treated to. There was no point in fighting with figments of your imagination since more would simply turn up to take their place.

Shepard stopped a short distance away from him, looking carefully at the turian with a nearly pitying expression. Garrus would have been pleased to see her if he had not known that she was a mere hallucination. Just to make sure he picked up and threw a small rock at her. It hit her in the chest and fell to the ground while Shepard scowled at the turian with some irritation. Garrus figured that these hallucinations had become increasingly vivid over the time he had spent here.

"What do you want, Shepard?" Garrus asked, looking towards the Commander.

"Aren't you pleased to see me, Garrus?" Shepard asked, frowning. Garrus just shook his head. Why would he be pleased to see someone who was not actually there?

"You're not real," Garrus replied, "Hell, I don't even know if any of this is real anymore. This whole thing could just be in my head and I wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. How would you feel if you kept being subjected to so many things that weren't actually _there_ that the line between imagination and reality begins to get blurred? Sooner or later I'm going to end up completely crazy if I'm not already. I suppose being completely crazy and seeing you all of the time can't be so bad." He shook his head, realizing that he had brought up a good point: what was to indicate that his whole stay on this planet had not been in his imagination? Maybe he had already been going crazy after he had heard the news from his brother…maybe even after the attack on the Citadel. What was to say that he was not dying on some hospital bed somewhere and that this was just his mind's way of trying to cope with his death?

"I may be a figment of your imagination," Shepard said, "But I do have the answers you want."

"Answers?" Garrus raised an eyebrow ridge. He was suddenly unsure of what to take of this Shepard hallucination. Maybe it might be of some help, unlike the others before it. Most of those ones had usually ended in non-existent sex.

"You've already figured them out, Garrus," Shepard said, "You just haven't chosen to see them yet. You need to open your eyes and keep an open mind…"

"Keep an open mind, huh?" Garrus scoffed. "If I keep an open mind I might actually start believing you're there. That would just be a sure indication that I've lost my mind. I don't want to lose my mind…not yet, anyway. I like my sanity."

"What little's left of it…"

"Oh, and you, being a figment of my imagination actually thinks I'm insane?" Garrus said, incredulous, "That the hallucinations that are making me crazy _think_ I'm crazy? What kind of warped shit is that? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Who said it was supposed to?" Shepard asked, almost with a smirk as she said it. Garrus clenched one hand into a fist in rage, unsure of what to do but growing increasingly agitated.

"Okay then, Shepard," Garrus said, "Although the name can't really apply since you're just in my head. You're how _I_ perceive Shepard, including the fact that I sort of miss the sex. Who wouldn't?" He paused, watching Shepard carefully. She seemed to nod her head in agreement but Garrus sure as hell was not going to fall into the same trap that he had fallen into before. Making love to someone who was not actually there only got messy. He realized then just how pathetic he must have been, trying to survive on this planet yet unable to stop thinking about Shepard and all they had done together.

"If you have answers, Shepard," Garrus said, "Tell me them. I want to know, maybe then I might be able to try and salvage whatever's left of my dwindling sanity. And I hope you're not wasting my time either, since I might even kill you. Yes, I _will_ kill a hallucination. I've done it a few times to Saren whenever I've seen him and it never gets old." He smiled then, remembering the many ways he had killed the non-existent evil turian. Bashing his head in with a rock, shooting an arrow into his neck…Killing Saren never seemed to get old.

"I just haven't killed you yet since I like you too much," Garrus continued, "And don't give me a reason to kill you since killing the woman I love just unnerves me a little…But I _will_ do it."

"Okay then, Garrus," Shepard said, "You want the answers?"

"Yes…"

"That piece of metal there," Shepard said, nodding towards the piece of black metal that Garrus had recovered from the crater days before. The turian picked it up and eyed it carefully.

"What about it?" Garrus asked, "What is it? Where's it from?" He knew he had these answers, especially if a figment from his mind was telling him then. He just could not reach them, buried under all sorts of other topics.

"Do you recognize it?"

Garrus squinted in the sunlight, looking at the piece of metal and taking a moment to reply. It looked familiar but he could not be certain where from. He did not want to jump to any conclusions, especially since getting it wrong when he subconsciously knew the answer would make him look like an idiot in front of Shepard.

"Well…It looks sort of like the stuff _Sovereign_ was made out of," Garrus replied, "But I really can't be sure about that…"

"You're right," Shepard replied suddenly. Garrus looked up at her, frowning slightly. He was right? Well, usually he would be looking smug about it but he realized that he had known it all along. This Shepard hallucination was just here to help him dig up the answers he had buried deep within his mind.

"So…what?" Garrus still could not work out what Shepard was getting at. "That a Reaper's been here? I guess that would explain the absence of any Protheans, but there aren't any signs of battle. It's as if everyone here just disappeared."  
Shepard smiled. Garrus thought for a moment that maybe he was onto something but he said nothing, preferring to let Shepard do the talking. She would give him the answers in due course, why complicate things by asking stupid questions?

"The Reapers did not come here, Garrus," Shepard said, sending some brief confusion into the turian's mind, "But they did find out about this place. The portal on Virmire, other Protheans involved in its making…It was only a matter of time that the Reapers would find it. And when they did, they did not waste their time destroying it. They took it as an opportunity to carry out a controlled experiment."

"And I know all of this?"

"They're assumptions you've been making," Shepard replied, "There's just no way to be certain. The pieces of the puzzle are all there, you just haven't put them together yet."

Garrus sat frowning, letting Shepard continue talking. He put the piece of metal aside, thinking that things were beginning to make sense: there had been a primitive, peaceful Prothean community of this planet. Why would the Reapers waste time and effort destroying a small community like this when they could use this opportunity to enact controlled experiments upon the population here? Garrus wondered what kind of experiments had been conducted, only to realize that he knew the answer already.

"Think about it, Garrus," Shepard said, "The Reapers sent a pod down here and that's what you found in the crater. Why do you think there's so much of that weird but tasty plant around? Did you think it was native to this world?"

"What's this got to do with the plant?" Garrus asked.

"Everything," Shepard replied. Garrus thought about this for a moment, still unsure of just what she could be getting at. He looked around, taking note of how the plant in question seemed to be everywhere, even growing around the trunks of nearby trees and probably choking them in the process.

"The Reapers engineered the plant as part of their experiment," Shepard continued, "they sent it down here in order to observe what happened when the Protheans began to eat it and drink it…you know, sort of like what you've been doing."  
Garrus froze. He should have known this, he should have been able to put the pieces of the puzzle together…It had to do with that plant. Everything that had been happening since he got here, the hallucinations, the voices…The plant was causing them and the hallucinations had started shortly after he had begun eating it on his first night here.

"The Protheans here unknowingly ate it," Shepard continued, "And they went crazy and began killing each other."

"But why would the Reapers do that?"

"Who knows?" Shepard just shrugged, indicating that Garrus did not have any ideas about this as well. Instead, the turian immediately decided to quit eating the plant in question. What he would eat now, he was not sure: maybe grass, perhaps some less dangerous plant…he had no idea.

"Who honestly cares?" Shepard added, shrugging again, "The point is, you keep eating it and you're going to be seeing a lot more of me around. I don't know whether you think that's a good or a bad thing, but if you want to keep your sanity…"

"I've got to tell Sommers," Garrus said. He stood up and grabbed his makeshift walking stick, putting weight on that instead of his wounded left leg. His leg hurt like hell but he could not let a mere injury like that stop him from doing what he wanted. He was stronger than this, he could handle the pain.

"He's not going to listen to you," Shepard said, watching as Garrus left. "I'm pretty sure he's gone nuts by now."

"And sooner or later he's going to come out of that jungle and try and kill me," Garrus replied, stopping and turning around to face the Commander. He could not believe that he was talking to a hallucination, let alone listening to one. "If I find him before he does that, I'll probably have a chance to kill him first. It just depends on what happens. And I really want to find out what's in that suitcase of his, since he treats that thing like it's his baby or something. So, I suppose you're going to follow me? How couldn't you? You're just part of my head after all." There was a brief silence between the two. Garrus looked carefully towards Shepard, still unsure of what he should be thinking. This particular Shepard was just part of his mind, yet she seemed so real…

Slowly, he stepped towards her. She did not move and instead watched him with a careful gaze.

Garrus missed the real Shepard, there was no denying that. How he would cope living on this planet without her was beyond him. Sooner or later the effects of the hallucinogenic plant he had been eating would wear off and his hallucinations of Shepard would cease. Whether he could live without her, even if it was not really her, was unknown to him. However, he did not want to fall further into his madness induced by the plant. It was almost like a drug, one that he was afraid he would not be able to survive without. Then again, that line of thinking was an indication of addiction. It had never occurred to him that the plant could have been addictive. If it had not have been addictive, maybe some of the Protheans who once lived here would have survived once they realized the true nature of the plant.

The turian put a hand to the side of Shepard's face, using the curved and smooth backs of the talons of that hand to gently caress her features. She smiled at the gesture and stepped forwards, gently kissing him on the mouth. There was a brief flutter of the turian's heart as Shepard kissed down his chin and down one mandible. And just as suddenly as she had appeared, she had gone. Garrus found that his right hand that had previously been caressing Shepard's face was now touching empty air. He doubted the full effects of the hallucinogenic plant had worn off, but this hallucination had undoubtedly ended. Now he was left with empty air and a longing in his heart for the woman he had fallen in love with. He wanted her to be here, to actually be here in the flesh…They had been through so much together and yet when he needed her most she was not here. It was just bad luck, he figured, to be stranded on a remote planet without Commander Katelyn Shepard.

Garrus lowered his right hand and stood still for a moment, his eyes drifting to the river flowing by up ahead. The sound of the rushing water seemed to be the only noise audible in the region, occasionally being broken by the noise of some alien bird calling from nearby. The pain down in Garrus' left leg had flared suddenly and the turian found himself needing to sit down again if only to ease the pain. He sat down at his usual place, stretching out his left leg in order not to aggravate the wound.

He picked up a small rock from near his feet, weighed it in his hand for a moment before flinging it towards the river. The flat surface of it skipped across the river a few times before falling in with a quiet _plop!_

Garrus was stuck on what he should do next. He could barely walk for starters and Colonel Sommers was undoubtedly crazy, especially if he had been eating the hallucinogenic plant. To think that the Reapers had purposely introduced the plant to the world in an effort to see what would happen to the Protheans…It was horrible. Those Reapers had to be stopped and they had, but there was no telling they would not try again. Garrus had been glad to be part of the successful effort to save all life in the galaxy but being a celebrity was not much good when you were stuck on a planet with no one but yourself for company. Colonel Sommers did not count as "company", especially since he and Garrus had not come across each other since the seventh day of their stay on this world.

He knew he had to get off of this planet. There was no means for him to do so but he knew he had to get off somehow, regardless of what it took. Living by himself like some sort of mountain man did not appeal to him whatsoever. Garrus picked up another stone and this time stood up, yelling angrily and to no one in particular as he threw it with considerable force at the river. It missed the river entirely and landed on the bank across it.

Was he destined to die here? He did not think so and he certainly hoped he was not. He had survived here for seventeen days, plagued by vivid hallucinations and living on plant-life. He felt weak and had lost some weight as a result. He was not going to stay here and waste away, probably being forgotten about by the rest of the galaxy. This was the sort of place where people came to be forgotten abut, left to die with no means to escape. If killing Colonel Sommers would bring him solace then he would do it. He no longer had any doubts about it: he would do it.

Garrus, standing up, began to walk towards the forest. His primitive bow and the arrows required were lying by the spot where he slept. However, he immediately became aware of something that was not quite right: there was a slight rustle in the undergrowth up ahead and he froze in place when he saw what was causing it.

Was it anther hallucination? If it was, it certainly seemed to be a very realistic one. Colonel Sommers slowly rose out of the bushes, his outfit covered with leaves and dirt in order to create an effective camouflage. His eyes were wide and his gaze was one of complete insanity. In his left hand was the suitcase, now covered with dirt which dulled its silver colour. In the human's right hand was the Magnum revolver and unlike the rest of the Colonel's appearance the weapon was clean, as if it had been tended to like a father would to an infant child. The weapon shone a bright chrome silver in the sunlight and it was pointed straight at Garrus.

The turian stood his ground despite the slight rise in his heart-rate. Here he was, faced with what was an undoubtedly crazy human with a gun. The Colonel could easily just shoot him, something that he seemed to be considering. He rose out of the bushes like a phantom, taking a few steps forwards as his eyes darted left and right. It was obvious that he was seeing things, what of Garrus could not determine. His mind was telling him to make a move but the turian was not sure of just what move he could take, especially since there was a gun pointed at him. He knew that his best bet was probably to play along with whatever Colonel Sommers had to say.

"Colonel, there's something I need to tell you…" Garrus began but he was interrupted, the Colonel's thickly accented voice breaking in over his own.

"Don't you say anything, you piece of shit," Sommers said, taking a few steps forward. There was a space of about five or six metres between the two of them now but it was still too much for Garrus to have a go at the Colonel. All Sommers had to do was pull the trigger and the turian would be down.

"You don't understand!" Garrus exclaimed, anger creeping into his voice. For once Sommers needed to see reason and yet it would be impossible to do that since he was under the influence of the hallucinogenic plant. "That plant you've been eating…It's messing with your head! It's making you see and hear things that aren't actually there!"

"Shut up!" Sommers snapped, "You're full of it! Full of shit! I know what you truly are…You're with those…those…_things_ that are in the forest. Those monsters…"

"Monsters?" Garrus shook his head. Now he was absolutely certain that the Colonel had gone crazy. There was no use in trying to speak reason into an insane man: Garrus knew he needed to take action and he would need to do it immediately.

"I'm going to kill you, turian," Sommers spat, "And I'm going to enjoy it."

The conversation was broken by a faint hum, one that began to increase in volume. Garrus looked up, his heart skipping a beat as the unmistakable sight of a shuttlecraft came into view. It beared no insignia but it was a relieving sight nonetheless. Was it another hallucination? There was no way to be sure. However, a quick glance at Sommers revealed that he had seen it too. The chance of sharing the same hallucination was slim so Garrus was certain that the shuttlecraft existed. The blue-silver craft disappeared behind a hill, leaving Garrus in suitably increased spirits.

He shifted his attention back to Sommers. Seizing his chance, he sprinted towards the human, hoping to catch Colonel Sommers by surprise. However, the Colonel was quick to react and pulled the trigger just as Garrus collided with him.

There was a hot, stinging pain in Garrus' stomach but by the time it had come the turian had knocked Sommers to the ground. The Colonel dropped the suitcase and the gun while the turian proceeded to pin the Colonel to the ground. Punch after punch was delivered straight into the Colonel's face, each one bringing more and more satisfaction to Garrus. The turian was barely aware of the bleeding bullet wound in the right-hand part of his stomach and instead had his full concentration set on beating up the Colonel.

Through his bloodied and bruised features the Colonel uttered a few words, ones that made Garrus pause only momentarily:

"We're no different, turian," Sommers spat, along with a light spray of blood. Garrus frowned and felt a sudden wave of anger flow through him. Deciding that that Colonel had said his piece, Garrus Vakarian swiped the sharpened talons of his right hand across the Colonel's throat. The Colonel gargled and geyser's of red blood sprayed out of his neck. Some of it splattered into Garrus' face but the turian simply wiped it away with one hand, getting up slowly and leaving the Colonel to die.

Garrus took a look down at his stomach and noticed now that it was bleeding profusely. He put his right hand there, trying to stem the blood flow. It did not succeed and with each passing second he felt weaker and weaker. The pain had subsided to a dull ache that flared into pure agony if he pressed to hard on his stomach.

He found the suitcase lying nearby and picked it up with his left hand, once again surprised at its light weight. He managed one last look down at the Colonel's corpse and was unsure of what to think: should he be remorseful or satisfied? Colonel Sommers had killed Garrus' brother after all. The bastard deserved to die.

Now Garrus had a meeting with his rescuers. The turian had no idea how anyone could have found him but he was not about to pass up the opportunity to leave this place. He started walking up the hill, his left leg erupting in excruciating pain and his stomach aching admirably. Garrus' pace slowed to that of a snail's as he limped hopelessly on his left leg. He wanted to open the suitcase to see what was inside and so he stopped halfway up the hill, falling to his knees and putting the case on the ground in front of him. Carefully he began to work the latches, only for a voice to break the relative silence of the area:

"I believe that belongs to me, turian," the voice said. It was a man's voice and he sounded different to most of the human's Garrus had encountered, primarily because of the peculiar accent he carried. The turian looked up slowly, realizing now that maybe he did not want to meet his rescuers. They had come for the suitcase, this much was obvious. Garrus was just an unexpected addition to it being found.

A short distance ahead stood a human of average height and good build, outfitted in a thick padded black uniform which had with it a red trim. Two armed soldiers in white and grey armour suits flanked him on either side, making four in total.

Garrus could not believe it. After seventeen days of hell and now he finds that the only people to rescue him are some dislikeable rogues. He sighed, unable to fathom his bad luck. Things had just gotten worse.

"Who are you?" Garrus asked, his voice strained. He was beginning to feel light-headed and his vision was beginning to swim. He wavered unsteadily where he knelt, trying his best to keep conscious.

"My name is Roland Halverson and I am a Commander," the man replied, "And you, dear boy, have something I want." He paused, looking around with a curious gaze as if something did not quite add up. "I heard a gunshot earlier. I take it that means Colonel Sommers is dead?"

This guy knew about Colonel Sommers? Garrus realized now that he was just caught in the middle of some sort of feud or conspiracy or…he could not think straight anymore. He just needed some rest and some medical attention. Too much had happened and too much was beginning to happen. What did it take just to get some rest? It was one thing after another. No rest for Garrus Vakarian.

"Sommers is dead," Garrus asked, smiling for no apparent reason, "I killed him with my own bare hands…" He trailed off, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Good, that's good," Roland said, "Hence why I need you to hand over the suitcase. Now."

Garrus had come all of this way just to have the suitcase taken from him before he had a chance to open it? This struck him as incredibly unfair. He was about to reply but before he had a chance to he found that keeping conscious was far too difficult to keep up. He slumped forwards and collapsed onto the ground, his vision fading to black. It would be a long time before he woke up.


	14. Interlude

**Interlude: Roland Halverson**

_"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."  
_— Alfred Pennyworth, from _The Dark Knight_

* * *

One month earlier…

Roland Halverson did not like hospitals. In fact, he despised the places primarily because they always smelt so…clean. The stench of disinfectant was everywhere and so was the smell of some sort of high strength floor cleaner, probably one full of ammonia. Hospitals were the sort of places where people received bad news, often leading to death or suffering. They were horrible places, hospitals. Hence why Roland decided to keep his visit to this particular hospital short.

From birth, Roland's parents had known that their son was different to most other kids. For one, he had an unnatural fascination with fire. For another, he seemed to have a habit of getting into fights and coming out unscathed despite the beating he might have received. Roland had grown up with a normal family, save for that time they tried sending him off to biotics training because of his apparent abilities. It turned out that he was not quite "biotic". In fact, he was something different. He had been considered a "troubled" young man during his earlier years, made evident by the fact that he had a habit of trying to kill people by setting them alight.

There was a gap in his memory of several years, filled with hazy visions of weird alien laboratories and monumental pain. He had been discharged from the Alliance Navy after an incident that had resulted in three dead officers, all of them reduced to charred corpses. Roland thought little about this, having no regrets. He made sure that if he was going to do something he would not regret it.

Roland was outfitted in his usual uniform and had stepped through the front doors of the hospital, entering the grey and white interior beyond. A few people were waiting nearby, some of them human, some of them turian and a couple of them batarian. He barely received a second glance as he walked inside, with everyone else too concerned with their own business to pay any attention to him. Roland approached the front reception and the female batarian receptionist looked up, all four of her eyes shifting their gazes towards him.

"Hello there," Roland said, "I'm looking for someone…a turian. His name's Haslas Lalitherax. I believe he's in this hospital somewhere?"

The batarian receptionist took a look at her computer terminal, sifted through some information and a moment passed before she replied.  
"And who, may I ask, wants to see him?"

"Roland Halverson," the human replied, "He should be expecting me. At least, I hope he is."

There was a pause as the batarian receptionist handed Roland a datapad and stylus.

"Name and signature there," she said.

Roland wrote down the necessary information and handed the items back. The batarian added his name to the list of people who had since checked in or out and brought up a list of details concerning what patient was in what room.

"Haslas Lalitherax is in Ward five, room thirty-six. That's just through the door to the right, just take the second left once you're through."

"Thank you," Roland said and started on his way. He passed through the aforementioned door into a typical hospital corridor, with trolleys of items to the sides and nurses going to and fro about their business. A few doctors were also milling about, being either batarian or turian. There were not very many humans here but that would probably change in a decade or two. Humans had a habit of overpopulating every planet they colonized eventually.

Roland took the second left, continuing down a corridor lined with numerous doors, some closed and some open. There were patients of differing species lying on the beds in the rooms, some looking better than others. A few were hooked up to important medical machinery while others were without it, all depending on whatever ailment they were suffering from.

Finally Roland arrived at a room cleverly labelled with a '36'. The door was slightly ajar and Roland pushed it open fully, entering a standard-sized hospital room taken up with a bed, a window that looked out across the colony and a set of bedside drawers. Lying in the bed asleep was the turian Roland was after: the turian's face was covered with typical black tribal markings and a small plastic hose was attached to his face just below the nose, providing the oxygen he needed to survive.

Haslas Lalitherax was a scientist, one who had been working on a very secret project for the turian military. It had something to do with Prothean crystals but there was far more to it than that. The unfortunate scientist had suffered a bit of an accident lately, one that had landed him in hospital as well as having him connected up to a few examples of life-providing machinery. Roland could not be sure of what had happened but he assumed that it had something to do with radiation. It was not dangerous in the sense that Haslas could irradiate other people but it was dangerous to his own life. The unfortunate scientist had little time left in the land of the living if Roland's information was correct.

Roland stopped by the side of the bed, looked down at the sleeping turian with a frown and decided to wake him up. He reached down and gently tapped the turian on the shoulder a few times, stirring him from sleep. Haslas slowly opened his eyes and seemed to be surprised at Roland's presence. In a raspy voice he spoke, not quite sure about what to make of Roland.

"Who…are…you?" He said slowly. Roland retracted the hand he had used to shake the turian from sleep and simply smiled.

"My name is Roland Halverson," the human replied, "I have a few questions to ask you, dear boy. I hope it's not too much trouble?"

Haslas frowned and with one hand went to reach for the button by his bedside that would call the nurses in. Roland pushed the device away, keeping it from the turian's reach. Haslas shot him an annoyed grimace before coughing a few times, a light spray of dark blue blood erupting forth. It took about a minute before the coughing fit had stopped.

"What do you want?" Haslas asked, shaking his head, "Can't you leave a dying man in peace?"

"About that…" Roland said, frowning, "You see, I'm terribly sorry about you dying and all, old boy. It's just that I need to speak to you about the research you were undertaking, the very research that landed you in hospital in the first place."  
Haslas seemed to frown when he heard this. Roland only smiled in an effort to reassure the turian.

"How do you know about that, human?" The turian asked, "No one outside of—"

"Outside of the highest circles of the turian military should know," Roland finished, "Yes, yes, I'm familiar with that sort of speak. It's just that I have some very reliable sources…_very_ reliable. There's no use in denying it, especially when you're on your death bed. You may as well tell me the whole truth, that way you don't have to die with it as a burden on your fragile little mind."

"Who exactly are you?" Haslas demanded, his voice taking on a hostile tone, "And why should I tell you anything?"

"I am a man with a purpose," Roland said, "And a genuine one at that. You should tell me what you know since you are the man in charge of this research. Besides, dying with that sort of a burden on your mind…Why would you want that?"

"I don't trust you…"

"You don't need to trust me," Roland replied, "I just need some names and I need details. The lead researcher beneath you, I believe, is your young daughter. If you don't want to help, I can go out of my way to find her. I'm sure she would be more than willing, with the right sort of persuasion…"

"You bastard…"

"That's why I'm asking you first," Roland continued, "That way we can avoid unnecessary violence. All I need is the location of all the prototypes you've built using the crystals, that way I can arrange for one of my men to go and get them. I understand that they're under heavy guard but even so I think I'll have little trouble in getting them. I always get what I want, after all. So you may as well tell me the exact location…"

There was a long pause as Roland finished speaking. Haslas seemed to shift uncomfortably where he lay, obviously agitated at Roland and what he was demanding. There was a look of confliction across the turian's face for a moment, as if the prospect of giving sensitive information to an untrustworthy human was more of a burden than selling out his own daughter.

"I won't tell you anything," the turian replied, "And neither will my daughter."

Roland had been expecting just such an answer. He paced along the room briefly, thinking of what else he should say in order to try and get the information he wanted out of the annoyed turian.

"You would rather I shift my attention to your daughter?" Roland asked. He could see the confliction on the turian's face. The human smiled at this reaction, knowing that he was getting through.

"Tell me, Haslas," Roland said.

"And what do you intend on doing with my research?" Haslas demanded.

"Finishing it."

"Finish it?" Haslas looked surprised to hear this. "How could you finish it? I could not even get the technology to work…"

"I'm a man of many trades, dear boy," Roland replied, smiling, "So I suggest you just tell me what I need to know before I decide to try out your daughter instead."

There was another long pause. Haslas finally gave in, shaking his head while the heart-rate monitor he was connected to started to beep a bit faster.

"They're in a secure facility on the Citadel," Haslas said, "It's at the main turian military base. You should have heard of the place…"

"I think I know of it," Roland said, "But whereabouts in the facility are your laboratories?"

"They're on sublevel fifteen," Haslas said, "Now, can you please leave me alone? I have enough on my mind without you adding to my burdens. Just let me die in peace."

"Die in peace?" Roland frowned. "I suppose I can do that. There is, however, one other thing I need to talk with you about, dear boy."

Haslas looked up, uncertainty crossing his features. Roland's expression was one of neutrality but there was a slight glint in his eyes that was something else.

"You see, I need your daughter's knowledge of the project you began in order to further my own," Roland said, "Now that you've given me the location of the items I need, I will have no trouble in finding your daughter and using her for my own purposes in conjunction with those items."  
There was a noticeable quickening of the turian's heart-rate made noticeable by the beeping of one of the machines. Haslas looked aghast but Roland only shrugged.

"She is required in my overall schemes," Roland continued, "And those schemes are broad and complex. My plans must be exquisitely organized to ensure that nothing goes 'pear-shaped'. You cannot possibly begin to understand them…"

"What will you do with her?" Haslas demanded, only to break into another coughing fit. Each cough emitted a fine spray of blood and Roland simply gazed on with only the slightest look of empathy.

"Use her," Roland replied simply.

"But you said—"

"I said, I said…What did I say?" Roland shook his head, almost pityingly towards the bed-ridden turian. "That I would not harm your daughter? I did say that and it is true: I do not intend on harming her. However, in my line of work one must become good at covering their tracks. Her death will be an accident and a fake at that: she will survive and she will work for me. I need her, as I have said. And that brings me to you, Haslas."

"What?" Haslas could not quite understand what the human was getting at. Roland liked it this way and managed a slightly unnerving smile down at the turian.

"I don't need you," Roland said simply, "And since you know of my intentions…well, I can't have you telling anybody about me and what I intend to do, eh? Sure, you may be dying but you're not dead yet. You're still able to talk, you can still communicate with the chaps high up in your species' military that set you on the project in the first place. Unfortunately, I can't have that."

Haslas once again tried to reach for the device to call in the nurses. Roland picked it up and tossed it off of the side of the bed. The turian began to writhe about as he tried to pull off the tubes that ran up to his nose while the life support machinery began beeping crazily.

"Who do you work for, human?" Haslas demanded, unable to gather the energy to get off of the bed, "Why do you want my research?"

"I work for no one," Roland replied, "And my plans incorporate your research. Now, though, I have to ensure that you won't be telling anyone about me." He paused for a moment, watching as the turian seemed resigned to whatever fate awaited him.

"I won't tell anyone," the turian said, "I have no reason to…"

"Ah, but I can't be sure about that, can I?" Roland asked. He saw what looked to be fear cross the turian's face. Roland kept his expression neutral as he spoke. "A man in my position has to be completely sure, don't you agree? He can't afford to take shortcuts anywhere. Besides, you should be blaming the people up in your species' military for what's happened to you. They're technically the ones who've killed you, Haslas. Not me."

"But…"

"You're meant to die," Roland continued, nonplussed, "You may as well accept that fact. As soon as you took on the project you were dead. Now that you're in here, you're simply one step closer to death."

"Uh…"

"Now, there is one thing I really like," Roland went on, able to tell that the turian was very confused, "You see, Haslas, I don't often use weapons. I don't really need them. However, I do like watching things burn. That sort of thing never gets dull. Nothing like a good fire to cleanse the soul, eh?"

Haslas was frowning. Roland simply shrugged, started towards the door and managed a glance back at the turian. When the fires started, Haslas' screams were heard throughout the hospital. Roland Halverson simply strolled out of the front entrance, a smile on his lips at what was completion of the first part of his plan. Soon enough everything would be in motion and before anyone realized what he was doing it would be too late. At least, that was what he was hoping for.


	15. A Fine Day

**Part II: Prototypes**

"_Nothing like a good fire to cleanse the soul, eh?"  
_--Roland Halverson

* * *

**Chapter XIV: A Fine Day**

The estate of Kaslin Kevkas was large and had had numerous extensions made over the years of its existence. One of these extensions included a large firing range that ran underground, perfectly soundproof so the sounds of gunfire could not be discerned from outside. It was a large, grey cement room that ran on for about two hundred metres. Numerous booths took up the beginning of the range, populated by a few mercenaries from the Dark Talon group. Racks filled with a variety of guns lined the walls. Weapons barked as the mercenaries took shots at the holographic targets, the computers in the booths calculating their scores at each successful hit.

It was morning and a rather ordinary one at that. Kaslin Kevkas was dressed in his usual set of white and black armour, his overall demeanour calm but confident. Last night had certainly been worthy to remember, especially because of the "quality time" he had spent with his wife. If there was one thing to keep a marriage going it was to ensure that the sex never got boring.

Kaslin had already done his usual morning routine, having eaten and groomed himself as he always did. With some time to waste because of a lack of work he needed to do, he had headed down to the firing range in order to perfect his shooting skills. Sure, they were quite exemplary but practice did make perfect. Slacking off now would simply leave him with his abilities below their usually excellent level.

Running a mercenary organization could be hard, but rewarding work. The rewards were evident: he was making a high amount of income for every business he extorted for protection, every smuggling operation he organized…Was he ever bothered by the fact that he was a criminal? Not in the slightest. He had heard an old human saying once: _Crime doesn't pay_. He found this saying to be awfully wrong, showing just how stupid humans could be sometimes. Crime _did_ pay. If it didn't he would not have become the mercenary leader he is today. Saying that he ran the colony on Hallian was not an understatement: it was in fact quite true, especially since the official government had fallen apart years ago after disputes between the Human Systems Alliance and the Turian Empire. The planet had been forgotten about and crime organizations had been free to reign. Naturally it had become survival of the fittest, with each organization hoping to eliminate the other. The Dark Talons had won and Kaslin had emerged from the bloody crime war as the one who could run the colony and make a might profit out of it. If there were any rival organizations left on Hallian they certainly did not make their presence known.

Kaslin had no concerns about the arrival of Commander Shepard on this world. In fact, his concerns lay solely on the mysterious human who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes: Roland Halverson. Coupled with the threats against Kaslin's family, the turian was left with a bad taste in his mouth whenever it came to the subject of Roland Halverson. That man was hiding many secrets. Kaslin wanted to determine what ones exactly and had already committed some of his time researching Roland, trying to trace his movements and determine where he was from and who he worked for.

It had been no surprise that any records of Roland Halverson were non-existent. It was as if someone had simply gone through and erased all evidence of the human, leaving him as an enigma with no past. He had no history and thus seemed out of place in the galaxy. There had been just one piece of information Kaslin had found, buried deep within Alliance records: it concerned something to do with a mass effect relay known as "Omega-4". If the rumours Kaslin had heard about it were true than any sorry soul who went through that relay never returned. It was just one of those many dark mysteries of the galaxy and to Kaslin, he cared little about it. Business was all that mattered. However, on the subject of Omega-4 Kaslin had found numerous references to something called the "Collectors". If Roland was in any way linked to these "Collectors" then it may explain his lack of being in any records and the weird technologies he had showed off to the turian mercenary boss. This was all just speculation on Kaslin's part though and there was barely enough evidence to back it up. Even so, Kaslin knew that there was something strange about that human, something very strange indeed. Nothing about him seemed to add up, and to top it off Roland had an unhealthy fascination with fire. So many unanswered questions…As much as Kaslin wanted to know the truth, there was no way to find out. Roland Halverson is, and would always be, an enigma. What did Roland have to do with Omega-4? Had the human gone through…and returned alive? It seemed like a logical conclusion to make, made evident by the information Kaslin had found: _Unknown frigate, named _Shoulder of Orion_, was detected in the region around the Omega-4 relay._ Roland's frigate was called the _Shoulder of Orion_. One small tid-bit of information and it had Kaslin pondering the true nature of the human in question. It infuriated him to think that there was no way to detect anything else.

Kaslin pondered these thoughts among others as he made his way into the firing range. He approached one of the booths, keying in the sequence required to start his own shooting practice regimen. It was a program customized to his skill level and would present numerous holographic targets at split second intervals, giving him barely any time to react before they "fired" at him. "Fired" in the sense that the lights on the target's holographic weapons would flash. This was supposed to emulate getting shot, something Kaslin hoped to avoid in both training and in reality. He had been shot a few times in the past, it came with the job: being a mercenary boss, he had a lot of enemies and sometimes they had actually managed to shoot him. He still beared many scars because of this. His wife seemed to like them though, so they had not affected his overall physical attractiveness. Perhaps, even, they had _increased_ his overall attractiveness. His wife seemed to think so.

Kaslin pulled his personalized pistol from the holster at his waist. It was a standard turian-built model, customized to his liking: the silver chrome plating was clean and shone brightly in the dry white lights from the fixtures in the ceiling of the firing range. There was a laser-sight attached just under the barrel, helping him to aim. He barely used it, unless his target happened to be an awfully long way away. The barrel had been extended to compensate for longer-range shooting, the heat sink had been upgraded to allow for more shots before needing to reload. It weighed lightly in his grip yet it carried so much power. How many people had he killed with this? Quite a few, he believed. He did not count how many people he shot but over his years as a mercenary boss he had done a lot of killing.

Maybe his wife had been right about how his job had been getting in the way of his family. He ought to take a break for a while, that was all: he liked spending time with his wife and daughter. He might take them into town tomorrow, just to spend the day out. They were always stuck in this estate and for all the luxuries it had, it did get dull after a while. There was only so much you could do in an estate that had cost millions of credits to build. Besides, a day out would help get his mind off of this Roland Halverson business. He had never reckoned that a single human could cause so much uneasiness within him. He did not trust humans in general, but Roland Halverson was a special case. That human had brought numerous new bonuses to the Dark Talons organization. Kaslin was not about to give up on these rewards just because he did not trust the human. Such thinking would only lead to trouble.

As Kaslin weighed his pistol in his hand and prepared to load it, he heard a familiar voice behind him. It was deep, guttural and one he had little trouble in recognizing. His closest bodyguard, a krogan named Taklas, had passed through the sliding doors a short distance away. Taklas was outfitted in a set of black krogan armour, his face carrying the scars of many battles. He was old for a krogan, lacking the bright greens and reds that the younger members of his species had. Instead, his face was mostly a dull brown while two very red eyes gazed at Kaslin with typically vague krogan interest.

"Taklas, what brings you down here?" Kaslin asked as he slid a fresh magazine into the hilt of his pistol. It clicked into place in a rather satisfying fashion. The turian fingered the holographic panel in his booth, preparing to start the training programme. However, his gaze was set on the krogan, displaying some curiosity as to why he was down. Sure, Taklas may have been one of his closest bodyguards but usually the krogan could be found on the prowl in the grounds of the estate. Usually Taklas only ever spoke to him when they were negotiating payment or when there was important news.

"Something's come up," the krogan replied, sounding bored, "Something you'll probably want to hear about."

Kaslin turned around, frowning. He supposed it had something to do with recent events: Commander Shepard and her ragtag bunch of friends were still in town, probably trying to dig up dirt on him. Roland Halverson was apparently on his way back from somewhere, having told the turian in their last conversation that his plans were beginning to reach completion. Kaslin cared little for the human's scheme and only for the rewards it would provide him and the organization. Roland had said something about some advanced weapons technologies, the sort that would help the Dark Talons enforce their rule in a more effective manner.

"Give me a minute, Taklas," Kaslin said, turning around. He fingered a button on the holographic panel in his booth. Immediately numerous holographic targets began to spring up along the firing range, each giving him barely a second to react before their holographic weapons were to fire. Kaslin raised his pistol and took down each with speed and grace, barely batting an eyelid as he fired shots in quick succession. Each holographic image flickered and died while the computer in the turian's booth tallied his results. He fired quickly and accurately, not missing a single target. This exercise was over in about thirty seconds, leaving Kaslin with a satisfied smirk on his face and a smoking gun clasped in his right hand.

"Computer," Kaslin said, directing his attention to the panel in front of him, "Provide results."  
The generic female voice of the estate's VI chimed in to respond. Kaslin stood with an expectant look on his face, already knowing what to expect but just liking to hear it anyway.

"_Rounds fired: Fifty. Targets eliminated: Fifty. Hit percentage: 100. Congratulations, Mr. Kevkas. Unfortunately, this is the exact same score you received last week and as such you have not broken your personal record."_

"Thank you, computer," Kaslin replied. He spun the pistol around in one taloned hand before slipping it back into the holster at his waist. He swivelled around and returned his attention to the krogan, Taklas.

"What do you think?" Kaslin asked, "Was that good or what?"

Taklas snorted, not caring in the slightest.

"You're so up yourself, boss," Taklas replied. Kaslin simply shrugged, unaffected by the krogan's comment. Why would he be? Taklas gave him crap all the time. Usually Kaslin would have sacked such a troublesome mercenary but Taklas was far too good at his job for that to happen.

"You think?"

"Yeah, I do," Taklas said bluntly.

There was a pause. Kaslin stepped past Taklas and started through the door. The krogan followed close behind as Kaslin made his way through the expensive interior décor of the hallways of the estate, making his way up a flight of stairs and to the ground floor. The kitchen was the location he had in mind, barely paying attention to Taklas who followed close behind.

Kaslin stopped by the kitchen bench, opening a cabinet and pulling out a bottle of a strong turian beverage. Usually he did not consume debilitating drinks early in the morning but he had little else to do. Besides, it got him in the mood. His wife, Lisik, was probably hanging around here somewhere.

Taklas stopped at the other side of the bench, his reptilian features unamused. He seemed uninterested in what Kaslin was doing, perhaps inconvenienced by their slight detour.

"Would you like a drink, Taklas?" Kaslin asked. He poured himself one and smelt the contents of the glass carefully. It seemed that the bottle of beverage had been stored away for quite some time…perhaps a year.

"You turians can't make drinks for shit," Taklas said. It was a typical answer from the krogan and Kaslin simply shrugged, starting on the glass and almost gagging at the taste. "That drink, to me boss, would be the equivalent of drinking a small animal's piss."

"Tell me, Taklas, what news did you have for me?" Kaslin asked. He threw the rest of what was in his glass into the nearest sink before opening the fridge. From within he pulled a chilled bottle of water, pouring himself a glass of it which he downed within seconds. It was refreshing, especially on a hot morning such as this. Through the window nearby he could see that sun was positioned high in a cloudless sky, its harsh rays beating down upon the landscape with an unrelenting fury. This region of Hallian had two distinct weather types: very hot and dry followed by very cold and wet. Today was the former, although often days like this could end up becoming powerful lightning storms. He would not be surprised if it began pouring rain in the afternoon.

"It's about the human…Shepard," Taklas said, "She's been asking around town. She's gotten in contact with some of the ex-Alliance people who used to help run the colony. I think she's trying to find dirt on you, probably to see if you know anything about the human she's after."

Kaslin raised an eyebrow ridge. He laughed when Taklas had finished talking, even though the krogan looked completely unamused.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Kaslin asked. At that moment his wife wandered into the room, dressed in loose fitting blue-grey robes. She looked half asleep still, having only just woken up. Kaslin smiled at her but she barely took notice and instead went straight for the pantry.

"Taklas, you have to understand that people are always trying to find out things about me," Kaslin said, shifting his attention back to the krogan, "Just because Shepard's a Spectre, it doesn't mean she'll do any better than anyone else who's tried before. Besides, we both know who she's really looking for: Roland Halverson. That should be no surprise, since that guy has a habit of leaving a trail of bodies wherever he goes. I myself tried to find information on him and let me tell you that there's close to nothing on the guy. Nothing it all. It's as if he doesn't exist."

"He does exist," Taklas said simply, "We've both seen him."

Kaslin just sighed. Krogans could be so thick sometimes.

"Of course he does exist," Kaslin replied, "It's just that, in official records he doesn't. There was one thing I did come across, it had something to do with his ship and the Omega-4 relay. Quite strange, if you ask me. I found it in a report about activity in the region a decade ago."

Taklas seemed uninterested in the matter. Kaslin fell silent, fiddling with his the now empty glass he held in his hand. Over by the corner his wife was preparing herself breakfast, going about it in a manner reminiscent of someone who had not gotten enough sleep. Kaslin was partly to blame for that.

"Oh yeah, boss, there was another thing," Taklas said, as if just remembering, "It's to do with Roland."

"What is it?"

"He's back."

Kaslin frowned. Back? Roland was back? He decided to clarify a few things before jumping to conclusions.

"What do you mean?" The turian asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"His frigate touched down outside of town late last night. I thought of waking you up to tell you but I didn't want to interrupt, seeing as you were busy banging your wife…"

Kaslin sighed. This was all he needed: No doubt Roland Halverson would show up and ramble on about his brilliant schemes and how they would benefit them both. There was something genuinely wrong with that human. Whether Kaslin would take the risk to try and find out was something the turian had not decided on yet.

"Any idea on what's going on with him?" Kaslin asked, "Or don't you know?"

"I know that he found what he was after," Taklas said, "but other than that I don't know much else."

Kaslin had little idea on what he should do. Roland would be coming, that much was certain. The human had a small force of high-tech soldiers at his disposal but it was obviously not enough for security, seeing as he had brought the Dark Talons on board for added security. Kaslin had a sudden brainwave at that moment, one that had its fair share of risks associated with it. Risks to him were necessary and he had not come to the position of power he now had by not taking any risks.

He would find out just what Roland Halverson was planning. And then, like any no-good backstabbing mercenary he would double-cross Roland and attempt to exploit whatever the human had found or created. He would use whatever scheme Roland had cooked up to his advantage. Kaslin had always been meaning to expand his powerbase to other worlds, the nearest one being in a nearby system. That nearby system was home to one colonized world, a turian one. If he could get a foothold there then it would be one more step towards having a galaxy-spanning operation running. If there was one thing Kaslin wanted, it was power.

"Taklas, if we were to find out what Roland was planning," Kaslin said, "And we were to find that this plan could benefit us better without the need for the human, would you help me get rid of him?"

Taklas considered the notion for a moment. The krogan's gaze seemed to lighten up at the suggestion.

"You bet I would," Taklas said, "Just as long as I get a pay-rise."

"I'm sure that we'll get more than just a pay-rise," Kaslin replied. The technology Roland Halverson had in his possession and had equipped his small force of soldiers with…some of that stuff was unlike anything Kaslin had come across before. "Much more than just a pay-rise," the turian added with a grin. 

* * *

Roland Halverson did arrive at the estate a short time later. Kaslin was in the office, reading through a few datapads of information concerning the latest results from the Dark Talon organization's smuggling operations in the sector. The Dark Talons had a decent enough operation running but their centre of power had always been Hallian. Kaslin would have liked to expand that powerbase somehow, hence why what Roland Halverson had to offer interested him greatly.

Roland Halverson had made a habit of barging in unexpectedly. The human seemed to display an aura of quiet menace, strangely offset by his odd accent and mannerisms. Kaslin had been working quietly, having only just finished speaking to his wife in order to clear up some of the issues she had mentioned earlier about him not giving her the time of day. He wanted to change that but his job made it difficult. Running a mercenary organization could take up a lot of time, leaving only the nights to spend with the family. No wonder his wife seemed to be thinking that the only reason he was with her was so he could make love to her nearly every night. Kaslin had been trying to clear up that misguided perception she had of him but had been rather unsuccessful about it. She still loved him, he still loved her: it's just that things between them had become a bit strained as of late.

Roland was dressed in his usual outfit, with black gauntlets on his hands for no apparent reason. He had barged into the office unexpectedly, having had little trouble talking his way past the outside guards. Kaslin had made sure that the guards knew to let Roland through without incident. Roland could come and go as he pleased, something that Kaslin found annoying but the turian knew better than to set otherwise. Usually when Roland Halverson got angry people died. Kaslin still bore the scars he had received during their first meeting, the ones that went down his right arm. The flames there had seemingly come out of nowhere and Roland had watched with fascination as Kaslin had hurriedly tried patting them out before running water over his arm.

Kaslin kept a neutral expression as Roland entered. The human looked noticeably serious, as if something was weighing on his mind in a profound manner. Kaslin thought that maybe Roland's plans had not outright succeeded, but it was impossible to be certain.

"Kaslin, dear boy, it's terribly good to see you," Roland said. He held out a hand in a typical human gesture but Kaslin ignored it. Roland retracted his outstretched and gauntleted hand, continuing unabated with his talking: "I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that I've found what I've been looking for."  
"What were you looking for?" Kaslin asked, narrowing his gaze, "Since you haven't really kept me in the loop. In fact, it seems like you're the only one in the loop. There are a few things I would like to know, such as: Why me, why Hallian and why now? For once, you should tell me what you're trying to do. Maybe I could be more help that way…"

Roland frowned, finding Kaslin's barrage of questions to be unexpected. Kaslin simply kept his gaze neutral despite the uneasiness he felt. He watched as Roland retrieved a cigar from one pocket and placed it to his mouth.

"Why you? Because you have a part to play in all of this," Roland replied. The cigar's tip flared alight suddenly. Kaslin watched with some surprise as this happened, finding the occurrence to be quite…odd. Sure, he had no idea about the human commodity of tobacco and cigars but even so, he was fairly certain cigars did not light on fire by themselves.

"Why Hallian? Well, it's all about location, isn't it dear boy?" Roland asked. It seemed like a rhetorical question so Kaslin did not answer. Roland spun the cigar around in his mouth, taking it away from there with one hand. He blew a thick waft of smoke, his gaze passive and unaffected by the stench of the smoke. Kaslin's eyes had begun to water from the thick smoke while he had the sudden urge to cough. He rubbed his eyes a few times but it did little to help.

"Hallian's a backwater world that just so happens to be home to my original facilities," Roland said, "I used to work in them years before anyone settled on this planet. Did you know I once made a trip to the farthest reaches of the galaxy?"

"No, not really…" Kaslin began, even though he did have some idea of what had happened. Maybe Roland would tell him the full story? The turian knew it was probably best just to play along.

Roland's gaze lit up as the memories came flooding back.

"I had a vision, Kaslin," he said, his voice taking on an unnerving tone. His eyes widened as if he had just made a sudden realization. Kaslin shifted uneasily in his seat, unsure of what to make of the human. "This vision showed me things…terrible things…I found this thing, this beacon, deep within the caverns that run under this colony. It showed me things…whole cities destroyed…people turned to dust…the skies darkened with ash…beautiful worlds reduced to smouldering wastelands. It was horrible, yet at the same time enlightening. It showed me where I should go and what I should do in order to prevent this terrible fate from falling upon us all."

Kaslin sat, listening to what were undoubtedly the words of a madman. Roland continued talking, the cigar held between two fingers on his right hand. A thin trail of smoke wafted from its end, dissipating as it reached the ceiling.

"It lead me to the farthest reaches of this galaxy, to the very edge where star filled space opens into perpetual blackness. I cannot recall what happened there, but I can remember some things…the alien facilities…the experiments…the agony…" Roland seemed to be staring at a spot of wall behind Kaslin, his eyes having gone glassy as if he was in some sort of trance. Kaslin sat with a growing sense of unease within him. Roland was insane, this much was obvious. Were there really caverns underground here? Kaslin had not heard of any, then again no one here was interested in geology or archaeology or whatever other "ology" had to do with these caverns. If Roland had indeed encountered something beyond the Omega-4 relay then that made him the only person in known existence to have returned from a trip through that relay alive. Unfortunately the journey had made him crazy. Kaslin figured that such was to be expected.

"I know what I must do," Roland continued, "The item I was after is just one piece of the puzzle. The other lies with Shepard, the one who you told me is on this planet." He paused, the glassiness leaving his eyes. He shifted his gaze down to where Kaslin sat at the desk, eyeballing the turian carefully. "Tell me, old boy, where is Commander Shepard?"

Kaslin frowned. What the hell did all of this have to do with the Commander? And what the hell was Roland on about anyway? The turian knew he could take advantage of this man's obvious mental instability.

"What item were you after?" Kaslin asked, "What did you find?"

Roland shook his head, as if he was fighting his way through many conflicting thoughts.

"They say I cannot tell you," Roland replied. Kaslin raised an eyebrow ridge upon hearing this.

"_They?_" Kaslin shook his head. "Who is 'they'?"

"The voices in my head," Roland said, "They told me to seek out the item and now they're telling me to seek out Commander Shepard. I must find her and I must…" He trailed off, once again shaking his head. Kaslin simply sat back in his seat and waited for Roland to snap out of it. He had never encountered a human so obviously crazy. Why anyone would want to work for him was impossible to determine.

"No, not yet," Roland added abruptly, "The package takes precedence over everything, doesn't it dear boy?"

"I'm sorry…What?" Kaslin was beginning to grow frustrated with all of this nonsense.

"Tell me, Kaslin, have you heard of Garrus Vakarian?" Roland asked.

"Who?" Kaslin had only vaguely heard the name. From what he heard, Garrus Vakarian was a turian and close acquaintance to Commander Shepard. It was perhaps odd that no turian had been seen with the Commander since she had arrived on Hallian.

"He's a close friend to the Commander," Roland continued, putting the cigar to his lips and blowing on it gently. He seemed to have returned to his usual self, free of the rants and trances that Kaslin had only just witnessed seconds earlier. "I just happened to encounter him when I found the item I was after and well…I've sort have taken him captive. Isn't that just neat?"  
"Uh…" Kaslin trailed off. What was he supposed to say? He could not care less about Garrus Vakarian, let alone whether he was captive of Roland Halverson or not.

"I believe that I'm going to have some fun with Garrus," Roland said, a slight smirk finding its way onto his lips, "Perhaps I can convert him to my cause?"

"Your cause?" Kaslin shook his head. He had never been more confused in his life. "What cause is that?"

"You're so full of questions, Kaslin," Roland said, almost pityingly. He shook his head, blowing on his cigar as he did so. Kaslin was left trying to work out what was going on within the human's mind…if the human did indeed have much of a mind left.

However, there were a few things that Kaslin had found awfully interesting. This talk of caverns underground, perhaps even ruins…that could be used to his advantage. As could the fact that Garrus Vakarian was a captive of Roland: Kaslin could use the young turian in his plan, although Kaslin himself was yet to come up with anything solid. He knew he needed more information before he could decide on the best course of action and unfortunately Roland was not a reliable source for that information. It would be difficult getting anything cohesive out of that guy.

"I have reason to be," Kaslin answered. Roland stood quietly for a moment, blowing on his cigar and eyeing the turian carefully.

"I need some extra men to secure my facilities," Roland replied, "Some of your men, no doubt. Are you willing to give me some?"  
Kaslin thought about this for a moment. He could not really say no to this request, he knew that. Then again, playing along could very well get him the information he needed. Roland Halverson, regardless of his apparent mental instabilities, was onto something big. Kaslin knew he needed to be in on it.

"I'll give you the mercenaries you need," Kaslin said, "Just as long as you start giving me some proper answers. Is that a deal?"  
Roland took the cigar from his mouth again and tapped the end onto the desk, caring little for burning a hole into the expensive wood. Kaslin would have normally protested but with Roland he thought twice about doing this.

"Maybe, dear boy, maybe," Roland said.


	16. Awakening

**Chapter XV: Awakening**

The memories of recent days were but a mere blur, an indiscernible haze bookended by flashes of recollection. Garrus Vakarian had been through hell and back, yet it was not over. He could remember what had happened on the jungle world, how he had been subjected to hallucinations and how he had finally killed Colonel Sommers. The bastard had deserved to die for killing his brother, yet it did not bring the turian peace. Far from it, in fact. He was somewhere else now, somewhere he knew he should not be. He had expected rescue but instead he had been captured, by whom he could not be sure. The name of the man who had greeted him moments before Garrus had lost consciousness had since slipped the turian's mind. How long had it been since he had last seen Shepard? Three weeks? It seemed strange to think that he had been gone that long, stuck on a remote planet with only a Cerberus agent and plenty of hallucinations for company. Now he was somewhere else, somewhere very different to the forest he had become familiar with during his stay on the far away world.

There was a memory of being held down on a bench, a bright white light in the ceiling above. Figures in surgical garb surrounded him and poked and prodded him with implements as Garrus yelled at them to stop, to leave him alone, to get away from him or else he would kill them. They had repaired his injuries, including the nasty one in his left leg. They had pumped him full of sedatives and left him to lie asleep for God only knew how long. It could have been days, weeks even since he had last been awake and fully aware of his surroundings. He could not fathom why the last month had been so hard on him: it was as if, when he had finally found love that some higher power had decided to send him into hell. The defeat of Saren seemed like it had happened an eternity ago while his night with Shepard could have been years ago, not mere weeks as it had been. He needed to see her, to tell her about what had happened, to tell her that he would never leave her again. She would be looking for him, trying her best to find evidence of his whereabouts…Her search would have been impossible had he still been on the remote jungle world. Now the turian was unsure of where he was, especially when his head throbbed and his vision spun in a tranquilizer induced haze. His left leg had stopped aching while the bullet wound in his stomach had been patched up to a well-done extent. Whoever had found him had fixed him up to such an extent he was almost in perfect physical condition. Unfortunately, he could barely determine where he was thanks to the drugs that were making his senses spin around him. Lights danced in front of his eyes and his ears throbbed needlessly, with all sorts of faint noises becoming incredibly audible. The drip of water onto rock was almost insanely loud, each _plip!_ sound erupting through his head with as much volume as a ship's engine going off in his face. There was a light above him, hanging loosely from a dull grey stone ceiling. It swung where it hung, casting shadows across the sparse room.

Garrus Vakarian groaned, putting a hand over his eyes as he came to. Even the slightest point of light hurt his eyes so he allowed them to adjust to the conditions by putting one hand over them, making sure that he would not go blind if he took his hand away. The throbbing in his head subsided and the noises of the room he was in returned to their normal level of volume.

He took his hand away from his aching eyes, staring ahead at the wall that was several metres in front of him. It was a dull grey cement wall, hinting that he was perhaps inside some sort of underground bunker. Above, the ceiling was mostly brown rock, further confirming where he was. How had he got here? He could remember collapsing in front of his apparent rescuers on the far away jungle world, mere minutes after he had killed the Colonel. Who were the people who had found him? He could not remember the name of the one who had introduced himself. That fact was forgotten under a haze of memories, made that way by the drugs that had been pumped through his system.

Garrus looked down at himself and found that he was strapped to a metal chair. He was still in the lower half of his armour's under-suit while bandages went around his stomach. He was connected up to a medical machine that appeared to be responsible for pumping sedatives into his system. With a cry of anger he pulled his arm back and the tube that went into his wrist popped out, leaving whatever drugs were travelling through it to drip out onto the floor. He tried the straps at his arms and legs but they restricted his movement too much for him to try and break free. Ahead he could see a metal door, locked shut no doubt. Whoever had him now had taken the care to patch him up, they just did not want him to wake up yet. Well, he was awake now and he was feeling very angry.

What had happened to bring him into the situation he was in now? For once in his life he finds what could very well be true love and then he's thrown into some of the harshest possible situations he's ever been in. Why would anyone want to keep him captive? He thought that he did have a lot of enemies, perhaps from his days in the military or from his time in C-Sec. Arresting criminals did give someone plenty of enemies to be on the lookout for. This still did not explain why those people had arrived on the jungle planet and found him, asking him to hand over the suspicious suitcase that had belonged to Colonel Sommers. It occurred to him then that he had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time: whoever had him captive now had not been after him. They had been after the suitcase and somehow they had tracked it to the far away planet. Garrus had simply been an unexpected addition to the plan.

The turian sighed, trying to fight off the lulling effects of the drugs. He felt like falling asleep but he knew this was what _they_ wanted, whoever "they" were. _They_ wanted him to remain asleep until they were ready for him. What would they do to him? Garrus could not start to guess, primarily because he did not know who _they_ were. They could have been anyone: mercenaries, smugglers…Maybe they were Cerberus? It seemed logical to think so, since Colonel Sommers had been meaning to get away from his former employers. Unfortunately his scheme to live out the rest of his days quietly on a jungle planet had backfired since Cerberus had found him anyway. However, Garrus could not be sure of who these people were. It was all just speculation at this point in time, coupled with the anger he was feeling towards the universe in general. Why him? Why now? And why in such a harsh, unforgiving manner? It was one thing after another, with no rest save for the one he had gotten just before waking up, thanks to all the sedatives that had been put into his body.

Thinking about Shepard just made him angry again. To think that he had been snatched away from her so soon after they had admitted the feelings they had for each other…Again he thought that some higher power had it in for him and was tormenting him by taking him away from Shepard. He longed to see her again, to feel her gentle but reaffirming touch. She was a no-nonsense kind of woman, the type he liked best. He could remember some of his previous relationships, all of which had not lasted as long as he had wanted them to. They were nothing compared to what he felt for Shepard. He was determined to see her again, no matter what it took. If that meant fighting his way through an entire army, he would do it.

He looked around the mostly empty room. There was a camera in one corner, trained directly on him, its unmoving lens seeming to stare right into his soul. Garrus turned his gaze away from it, thinking it best to not make it obvious that he was wide awake. Someone was bound to come in and check on him. If he was supposed to be drugged up and asleep then they would come in and just tranquilize him again. He did not want that, especially since he had missed out on days of his life for all he knew. He had no way of telling how long he had been unconscious. Judging by how bad he smelt he had been sitting in this chair for a long time.

_This is bullshit,_ he thought absently. He shifted his right hand slightly, bringing the talons of that hand a little lower so that they touched the strap that was holding that wrist to the chair. Carefully he began to use the sharpened edge of his right talon to saw through the strap, going about it slowly and carefully. The camera in the corner watched him but no one stormed into the room to beat him into submission. He had sharpened his talons during his stay on the jungle world, primarily because he had been meaning to kill Colonel Sommers with them. He had and he could be thankful for the fact that they were still as sharp as they had been then. To get around in galactic society today a turian like him did not need razor sharp talons, especially since he was usually wearing gauntlets of some sort to go with his armour. A turian using their talons as a weapon was considered uncivilized. Garrus had already broken that rule so there was no reason for him to suddenly revert back to following his species' customs.

The strap at his right wrist was surprisingly tensile, made out of thick plastic and rubber. Scraping a talon against it was not working as well as he had been hoping it would and by now his fingers had begun to ache from the awkward movement. Sighing, he gave up. Little progress had been made in cutting through the strap. He was effectively stuck in this chair until someone actually freed him from it…He did not think that would be happening anytime soon.

The drug-induced haze that had blurred his memories had subsided. Now he could remember what had happened at the very end of his stay on the far away jungle world, save for the name of the strange human who had greeted him and demanded that he hand over the suitcase. What the hell was so important about that suitcase? Garrus wanted to find out, yet somehow he knew there was little chance he would be able to do this.

Garrus remained idle, left with nothing else to do but wait. Just what was he waiting for? He himself did not know but he was curious to find out. Whoever wanted to keep him alive and strapped into a chair must have had plans for him. Whatever those plans were, Garrus had a bad feeling about it. Through his years in C-Sec he had developed a slight sense of when things were going to go wrong. That feeling of impending dread was making a return, all the more inflated by the anger and frustration he was feeling. He did not even know where he was. He could have been on any planet in any part of the galaxy. He needed to get out of here, to escape and yet he knew that was not possible in his current circumstances. He was effectively immobilized, left in unknown territory at the mercy of an unknown enemy.

He turned towards the camera in the corner again, anger overcoming him. He had been through enough already, he did not need to be subjected to anymore agony, both physically and mentally. He had almost gone crazy on that jungle planet. He had been snatched away from Shepard without any sort of warning. He was now once again at the mercy of an enemy, one he knew barely anything about.

"What do you want with me?!" He shouted at the camera, struggling against the straps that held him down, "Who are you people? What do you want with me? _Come in here so I can see you! Tell me, what do you want with ME?!"_ Garrus was unsure of just what the shouting would achieve. They were watching and listening, he could tell this much. Perhaps they would simply leave him in this room for a while, if only to spite him? The camera watched him, the only hint of activity being the red light that was on just underneath the lens.

Garrus remembered his training from his days in the military: when captured by the enemy, reveal nothing but name, rank and serial number. He did not have much of a rank or serial number, primarily because he was no longer in the military nor was he in C-Sec anymore. Besides, what did these people want from him? They were keeping him alive for a reason and he wanted to know why. Would they interrogate him? Torture him? He had already been tortured enough during his stay on the jungle planet, subjected to constant hallucination, little sleep and plenty of pain. He did not know whether he would be able to hold up against anymore pain.

He hated the fact he did not know who had him captive. He could remember being patched up by a few surgeons, he could only just remember being thrown into this chair and strapped down. Over in the corner he could see a cart, one with an old style human-built power pack set on it. A series of dusty panels and dials were on a pad next to it while two suspicious looking alligator clips were attached to the battery in question. Garrus swallowed. He was not familiar with human torture methods but he had a feeling about why there was hundred year old power pack in the room with him.

That was not the only thing: next to the cart was a small table, its top covered with assorted implements. From where Garrus was seated he could see that none of these implements were of the "nice" variety: all of them were surgical tools of some sort and all were of the types that were used to cut things open or pull things out. It seemed logical to assume that Garrus was not the first one to have been left in this room, treated to a view of the primitive surgical implements and suspicious power pack. He could very well have been the first of many to have waited for the impending torture.

The waiting was beginning to get to him. If they were going to torture him, he would have preferred it if they just got it over and done with. They were making him wait on purpose: they knew he was awake, they were just taking their time to respond. They wanted him to see what was waiting for him once they were ready to come in and start the interrogation. He shifted uneasily in his seat, finding it hard to cope when impending pain was so close, yet so far. He could be left to wait here for hours on end, his imagination left to run wild as thoughts of what would happen to him began to break into his mind.

He closed his eyes. There was no use in thinking about it, he knew that. Instead, his mind drifted to Shepard once again. He wondered where she was and what she was doing right at this very moment. Was she searching for him despite the expected pessimism other people might have had concerning the chances of finding Garrus Vakarian alive? She would not stop looking for him, even if it took her the rest of her life. Garrus was not about to let it come to that. He would escape and he would find her again. How he would do all of this was open for debate. He had to get out of this place first and his current position was not allowing him to.

Garrus sat back in the seat, deciding that if he was going to be waiting he may as well try and get comfortable. He had obviously been seated in this chair for a while judging by the fact that his backside had gone numb. He shifted slightly in order to get the blood flowing to that region again. Beyond the metal door he heard footsteps from what was probably a hallway outside. His heart skipped a beat and his blood ran cold as the footsteps neared. Garrus watched as the metal door squeaked open on rusty hinges, an indication of its age. This place was old, this much was certain. It was old and dilapidated, but what planet it was on was unknown. Underground caverns tended to look the same on most planets and he had been to an awful lot of underground caverns during his time with Commander Shepard.

There in the doorway stood the human he had encountered on the jungle planet, moments before he had lost consciousness. The human was in the same black and red outfit as before, with its thick padding which was an obvious means of soaking up bullets. He casually stepped inside, followed by a pair of grey-armoured human guards, both of whom were wielding assault rifles. The door remained open as the lead human walked inside, stopping a short distance in front of the seated turian. He regarded Garrus with a careful gaze.

Garrus struggled to remember the name this human had given during their brief encounter on the jungle planet. His memories of the encounter were quite fuzzy, as if he was getting bad reception…

"I see you're awake, Garrus Vakarian," the human said suddenly, breaking the turian's concentration. The human had some sort of accent, Garrus did not know what. There were many sorts of humans and some had different accents than others. Unfortunately, Garrus was no expert on this sort of thing.

"Who are you?" Garrus asked. If he was going to find out why he was here he knew he would be best to start asking questions. The human frowned slightly as he heard the question.

"Who am I?" Roland smiled. "My name is Roland Halverson. Obviously you can't remember when I told you that during our short encounter on that planet."

"How long have I been out?" Garrus did not like this human. There was something about him, something to do with the aura the human displayed…It was unnerving, to say the least. There was a distinct light to the human's eyes, one that was almost bright orange in the light of the room. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or perhaps it was an indication of something more.

"Oh, I shouldn't worry about that Garrus, dear boy," Roland replied. Garrus frowned. _Dear boy?_ This human was already getting on the turian's nerves.

Roland paced around the chair, speaking as he did so. Garrus had little else to do but listen, eyeing the open doorway and the two armed guards standing near it. There was no way he could escape this one…even if he somehow managed to break out of the straps holding him to the chair there were two armed guards to deal with. They could very easily mow him down before he reached the door. And then there were probably more of them outside of the room. Hell, Garrus did not even know where he was so how could he possibly find his way out? He was certainly in a dire situation.

"I've heard about you, Garrus," Roland said as he walked around the chair, slowly but confidently, "Your work at C-Sec, your hot-headed attitude…And now your entanglement with the work of Commander Shepard. You were there when she killed Saren, you were there when she made the decision that killed the Council? Do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that?"  
Garrus was not sure just where Roland was going with this. In fact, he was somewhat perplexed. Obviously Roland wanted to know more about him and whether Garrus would tell him what he wanted to know was yet to be decided. Instead, Garrus wanted to ask a few more questions of his own. He needed to learn as much as he could about what was going on, especially since he had been more or less thrown into the middle of something he knew little about.

"What was in that suitcase?" Garrus asked. The question caused Roland to stop just by the turian's left. Garrus looked up at him, his gaze narrowed as he examined Roland's thoughtful expression.

"The suitcase is something I've been after for a while," Roland said after a lengthy pause, "You could say that it was part of my mission, to find and secure the suitcase and its contents."

"My brother died trying to get that case," Garrus said, "What the hell's so special about it?"

"I think I'll start at the beginning, since there's a fair amount you need to know before the suitcase comes into play," Roland said. Garrus frowned. Was Roland seriously just going to tell him anything? It struck the turian then and there that Roland could tell him anything he wanted, meaning that the human did not intend on keeping Garrus alive. The turian swallowed but remained silent as Roland spoke, noticing the human's eyes take on a slightly more glassy look.

"This bunker is located near a set of ruins," Roland said, "A set of Prothean ruins. I'm sure you've been to that kind of place before, eh old chap?"

Garrus was not sure what "old chap" meant but nodded anyway. Ilos immediately came to mind since that planet had been literally covered with Prothean ruins. What this had to do with the suitcase was unknown but he remained silent, listening closely whilst plotting some means of escape. Roland would not be keeping him alive: the chances of that happening were slim.

"I found a beacon, Garrus," Roland replied, "A Prothean beacon. The very sort that Shepard was exposed to. Do you see where I'm going with this, dear boy?"

"You activated the beacon?" Garrus swallowed. Roland had been exposed to a Prothean beacon. Nothing it showed him would have made any sense. In fact, that unnerving feeling that Garrus had about Roland could probably be attributed to the fact that the human had been sent insane by what the beacon had showed him. For a moment Garrus thought that Roland could be the next Saren…It was a crazy idea but if Shepard and Saren could use the beacons, then there was always the possibility of someone else coming across them.

"It showed me things, terrible things," Roland replied, "But it also showed me the means to stop it. To stop those bloody Reapers from coming into this galaxy and fucking shit up, as they've done so many times before." Roland reached into a pocket on his uniform and pulled a cigar from it. He placed the cigar into his mouth and the end lit almost instantaneously, with no evidence of any means of causing it to ignite like that. Garrus was momentarily distracted by this, finding it quite odd…and quite unnerving.

"It showed me where I should go to find a means to stop the Reapers. I went to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. I became enlightened by what I found and I returned, determined to finish my mission to provide galactic civilization with its salvation." Roland puffed on the cigar lightly, sending some smoke into Garrus' face. "What was in the suitcase is a mere first step."

"You're crazy," Garrus said simply. He was right: Roland had all the evidence of being insane. The statement did seem to strike a chord within the human, evidenced by the way he screwed up his face and leaned forwards, his eyes meeting with the turian's. "The beacon's made you nuts."

"I'm crazy?" Roland scoffed. "No, dear boy, I am the only sane one here. The only sane one…" He trailed off, standing back up and blowing again on his cigar. Garrus knew he had to get out of here, that he had to escape this crazy human.

"Cerberus had a vague idea of what was in the suitcase and so sent Colonel Sommers to fetch it," Roland continued, "But he discovered the truth about it that such power could not be for anyone. That's why he went to that jungle planet, to get away from galactic civilization. You ended up there with him. Unfortunately, the Reapers had found the Prothean society on that world and used it as an excuse to run one of their many experiments. Those Protheans killed each other and you and Sommers almost did the same thing. It was only by using the clues left behind at the ruins on Virmire was I able to deduce the location of the planet. Your friend, Commander Shepard, tried the same thing but to little success."

As much as Garrus hated to admit it, this was beginning to sound rather plausible. Shepard had obviously tried to find clues as to the location of the jungle planet from the ruins on Virmire…but Roland and his goons had showed up and ruined any chance of that.

"Is Shepard still alive?" Garrus asked. He did not know how he would cope with her death. He did not want to think about it but he needed to know the truth.

Roland smiled.

"Yes, she's still alive," he replied, "She has a part to play in all of this. Thing is, she won't be alive for much longer I think. You see, when I went out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy I met some folks…they 'enlightened' me to the truth about this Reapers business. I was sent back into the galaxy with a purpose, Garrus. If Shepard had been part of my objectives I would have killed her when I had the chance. Thing is, there are some other people on that job right now. My mission, here, is to ensure that the suitcase is found. It's part of a much larger puzzle, one requiring expert planning and execution. You are a mere unexpected addition to this plan. Rather than kill you, I thought I could use you."

"Where in the galaxy did you go?" Garrus asked. He could tell that not all was quite right with Roland. He was being controlled by some other force and his actions were not his own. Where Saren had been indoctrinated to the will of _Sovereign_, Roland Halverson seemed to be suffering from the same sort of thing. Garrus did not like the bit about Roland "using" him. No wonder he had been kept alive: if this was indoctrination at work then they might try it on him as well. Garrus had no intention of losing his free will to some unknown enemy force.

"Far away," Roland replied, "Very far away, dear boy."

"And, uh…who did you meet there?"

Roland seemed to frown when Garrus asked this question. His face contorted into a rather strained look, as if the memories were not quite there. Garrus knew then that what Roland had been saying, about being on a mission to save the galaxy, was a lie. Roland believed in it but Garrus could tell that the human was being controlled. The evidence was all there.

"I…I…" Roland frowned. "Who I met does not matter. What I've been sent back to do does matter."

"You're under someone else's control, can't you see that?" Garrus said, "You've been brainwashed…"

"No one has been brainwashed," Roland snapped, shooting the turian a harsh gaze, "I was nobody, just another ordinary man until I became enlightened to the truth. The truth is that your species' military had been working on technology similar to what was in the suitcase. The technology contained within, dating back to the Prothean era, is far too valuable for the turians to have. So you know what I did to all of the people involved in the project to do with this technology?"

"What did you do?"

"I killed them," Roland replied matter-of-factly. "They were dabbling in things beyond their comprehension. You, on the other hand, I do not see as a liability like those researchers were. You are an asset, one I can use to my advantage. What I'm going to do, Garrus, is that I'm going to make you believe."

Garrus froze. The thought of losing his free-will did not appeal to him at all. Roland obviously meant it and immediately Garrus' mind was set back on to escaping. He briefly thought about this turian project that Roland had mentioned: it had probably been some sort of top secret thing, known only to those high up in the turian military. How Roland could have found out was unknown.

"Believe in what?" Garrus asked, his tone level. He did not betray his fear through his voice but he was not entirely fearless either.

"Believe in what I'm doing," Roland said. He stepped over to the cart with the old fashioned power pack upon it and carefully pushed it up alongside the chair Garrus was strapped into. Roland worked the battery dispassionately while Garrus looked on, unsure of what to expect. It was some surprise when Roland attached an alligator clip to Garrus' left mandible before attaching the other clip to his right one. The turian tried to remain relaxed but the thought of torture did not sit well with him. There was also far too much on thoughts for him to try and reach a clear state of mind. All of this talk about "enlightenment" and technology contained within the suitcase had left the turian quite confused. He tried to ignore the feeling of the cold metal of the alligator clips at his mandibles but it could not be ignored. Roland flicked a switch on the power pack.

"When I find an enemy as resourceful as you, dear boy, I don't kill them unless I have to," Roland said, his tone neutral. He set his gaze on the turian, displaying only the slightest hints of satisfaction. "You must be very good at what you do if you've survived as long as you have, fighting alongside the Butcher of Torfan, otherwise known as Commander Shepard. You've probably seen so many things, killed so many people…How do you sleep at night?"

"I manage," Garrus said. Most nights he did have nightmares but he decided against mentioning those. Ever since he had become involved with Shepard those nightmares had lessened in frequency somewhat. They were still there, just not as profound as they once were.

"You haven't seen what I've seen," Roland said. His right hand went to a dial on the power pack. "And I want to make you see what I see. The best thing I can do to a captured foe such as yourself is turn them to my cause. Killing them is such a waste of talent, don't you agree?"

Garrus did not respond. There was no way in hell he would give in to Roland Halverson. The man was under control by someone or something else. Whether that was some sort of Reaper or something was up for debate. However, whatever Roland had found in the farthest and darkest corners of the galaxy had done something to him. The mission he believed himself to be on was nothing but a sham. If Garrus could make him see the truth, that he was under someone else's control…Well, it would be difficult. If Shepard were here she might have had better luck.

"I'm going to start things off lightly," Roland said, "I know that you will resist. Thing is, I find torture more fun when the one I'm torturing resists. It gives me an excuse to try out some of the more extreme methods of getting someone to agree with you." His left hand went to a set of pliers on the cart and he picked them up, clicking them menacingly. "Tell me, Garrus: Do you prefer AC or DC? And while we're on that subject, do you wish to keep your back teeth or your front teeth? It's up to you."

Garrus eyed the pliers and the power pack carefully. To him Roland was a complete monster. There was no doubt about it: Roland enjoyed torturing people. The look he had in his eyes was one of far-gone lunacy.

"What did you find out there, Roland?" Garrus asked, trying to get through to him, "Where did you go?"

Roland frowned. He put the pliers down and turned the dial on the power pack slightly. Immediately pain shot up Garrus' jaw and into his skull, causing him to tense involuntarily. His skull felt as if it would split open and he yelped loudly. Roland turned the dial down slightly and shook his head, allowing Garrus a chance to recover.

"I'm the one asking the questions, dear boy," Roland said. He blew on his cigar again, taking it from his mouth and tapping the end out on the side of the cart. "Besides, the secrets of the Omega-4 relay are for me to know only."

Garrus frowned. He had vaguely heard the stories concerning the Omega-4 relay and how any ship that travelled through it never returned. If Roland had gone through it and come back…whatever he had found out there had exerted its control over him entirely.


	17. Kelias

**Chapter XVI: Kelias**

The rest of the day went by in a rather painful blur. Garrus Vakarian knew exactly what Roland Halverson was trying to do and so resisted with all of his strength and will, despite the fact that there were times when he did feel like giving in. Roland was trying to break him, to make him accept whatever Roland wanted him to believe. It was almost like some sort of re-education and Garrus was the one getting it. The torture methods Roland had set up were somewhat primitive but quite effective. The power pack with the alligator clips attached to Garrus' mandibles provided a hell of a lot of pain, so much that every time electricity was sent flowing through those clips Garrus felt like his skull would split open. Then there was Roland's do-it-yourself dentistry which consisted of forcing open Garrus' mouth and using a set of pliers to pull out a tooth. By now Garrus had lost a few of his teeth but he could have some relief in the fact that they would grow back…eventually.

After about an hour or two of resisting Roland (although it seemed like an eternity), Garrus was taken out of the chair and guided into another room. By now the turian was exhausted and not in any state to fight his captors. He knew that most of this was being done simply to please Roland and not for any other reason: Roland Halverson, it seemed, was the kind of man who took satisfaction in torturing people for no real reason.

Garrus had his head dunked into a tub full of water on repeated occasions in this new room, forced to keep his head under until his lungs were literally bursting for air. Roland had given up asking questions by now and was simply doing it for the hell of it. When he saw that his turian captive would not give in easily he had been noticeably fazed but not enough to get angry. Instead, he just made Garrus suffer for a while. Finally, when another hour had passed, Garrus was dragged out of the room and down a hallway. He was thrown into a room by two armoured guards and it was here that he lost consciousness.

It must have been a few hours later when he awoke, it was impossible to discern the exact time while inside an underground bunker. Garrus found himself lying on a dusty mattress on the floor, his head aching admirably and the gaps in his mouth where some teeth used to be throbbing dully. The ceiling was brown rock, with a few hanging lights that provided dry light across what was a wide room.

Garrus remained lying still for a while, trying to ease the aching in his head. It struck him again just how unlucky he was: he had already been through hell on that far away jungle world, having spent seventeen days on it and treated to many vivid hallucinations. Most of those hallucinations had tormented him and as a result he had begun to doubt his sanity. And just when he thought he was about to be rescued, to have his deliverance…and he gets brought to this place and tortured just because the resident psychopath liked to torture his prisoners. Why did this shit have to happen to him? He knew better than most people that life could be unfair, but why it was being this unfair was open for debate. From one hellhole to another, it seemed that there would be no rest for Garrus Vakarian.

He thought of Shepard once again. Just when he had found someone he could relate to and he's thrown into situations like the one he was in now, denied any contact with the Commander and forced to suffer. He would escape somehow, he was sure of it. He was not going to let himself rot in a cell in some underground bunker, not when there was someone out there who cared about him. Garrus slowly sat up from where he lay, his head still aching somewhat as he took in his surroundings.

He appeared to be in some sort of workshop, filled with benches that were covered with assorted scraps and other bits and pieces. In the corner was a computer terminal, set into the wall by a metal door that was undoubtedly locked. This certainly was not the cramped cell Garrus had been expecting, not when there was this much room and this many objects to use as weapons. Of course, he doubted Roland had thrown him in here for the fun of it. There was a reason why he had been put in here and he was curious to find out what.

There were numerous tools, both powered and unpowered, lying around on some of the benches. There were items that had been cobbled together from numerous scraps and so forth, most of them looking to be unfinished. In the far corner was a metal bucket and he figured that this was the toilet. A shelving unit on the far wall was filled with assorted datapads and old style paper books, most of them thick and to do with engineering. On one table was a plate of half-eaten food, this being a sure indication that Garrus was not alone. The food itself looked like the sort of thing he would eat since it certainly was not human cuisine.

He could try and escape. He could use what was in here to try and escape. As much as he wanted to do that, building anything useful would be difficult. In the corner was a surveillance camera, keeping an unblinking watch on the whole of the workshop. It would be impossible to build any sort of weapon when you were being watched by your enemies constantly. Why Roland had thrown him into this room and not some scummy little cell was unknown but Garrus thought that maybe the human had plans for him. What those plans were…well, Garrus had practically no idea.

Roland was mysterious but there were indications that he was not himself. Garrus did not know this for certain, mostly since he did not know whether Roland was acting himself or not since he had only just met the guy. All of this talk about "salvation" and special "missions" only added to the turian's speculation about Roland's true nature. If he had indeed gone through the Omega-4 relay and returned, then whatever he had found had done something to him. What, exactly, could not be determined. Garrus had only heard vague stories about Omega-4 and most were simply rumours and completely unreliable. Roland, on the other hand, seemed to know the truth. And he was not telling, that was for sure. Asking him about it would not yield any results and probably more cryptic hints to his true nature and his plans.

Garrus could barely think straight with the headache he had. It was not helped by the fact that he still had little idea as to what was going on, since he had more or less been dragged into this whole mess when he and Sommers had ended up on the jungle planet. That whole thing had been one simple accident, one that Garrus had not been expecting. To be thrown onto a remote planet through some sort of portal seemed crazy, yet it had happened. And just what was the deal with the suitcase? It had the answers and Roland had been kind enough to confiscate it as well. What secret project had the turian military been working on? Roland had mentioned something about some sort of project, one that he had killed all the researchers of since they had apparently been dabbling in things beyond them. As if Roland knew any better…

Maybe he did. Maybe he had this whole thing planned out. Maybe Garrus was just an unexpected variable in the equation, one that Roland was trying to take advantage of. Whatever the reason, Garrus knew he had to escape. Sooner or later Roland would return for him and torture him some more, perhaps using far harsher means. Garrus was confident that he could hold up against it for a while but eventually he would be worn down. One day he would break, just like anybody else would. He did not want that to happen, not when it meant getting his mind filled up with all of the crap Roland believed in. Roland was smart though, perhaps too smart: he knew better than to kill a viable resource like Garrus. If you could turn an enemy to your cause, why wouldn't you do it? Killing, as Roland had said, was such a waste of talent.

There was no way Garrus would let himself fall under Roland's control. The thought of betraying himself like that…Well, it seemed insane that Roland could even do such a thing. Then again, Roland was insane. Insanity could provide a few abilities that sane people lacked, like an undying belief in their cause no matter how absurd it was. Roland did not want to save the galaxy, not when he was under control by something else. Indoctrination, perhaps? Maybe, but it seemed different this time around. Roland still had plenty of free will, so it was not indoctrination. He had been conditioned, brainwashed. He just did not know it.

Garrus was broken out of his reverie by a voice, gentle but reaffirming, that rang out of the shadows on his left. He turned his head and was pleasantly surprised by who he saw stepping out of the dark corner. His gaze went from her very bottom to her head, taking in all of her curves and her slender feminine frame. She was dressed in a grimy set of dark blue pants and a matching shirt. She wore a grey vest, one that seemed to fit snugly against her frame. Her fringe was between being too long and too short, sitting over her head at just the right length. Her face had once beared intricate black tribal patterns but those had since faded somewhat, revealing the grey colour of her face. Judging from the dirt and grease that stained her outfit and her skin it seemed that she had been down here a long time. In one hand she gripped a plastic cup filled with water. Seeing that Garrus was awake, she smiled and handed him the cup.

Garrus sniffed the somewhat dirty water carefully before gulping it down. He realized that he was still dressed only in his dirty set of tight-fitting pants, having been part of the under-suit of a set of armour he had abandoned on the jungle planet. He must have smelt pretty bad as well, especially since he could smell himself. He looked towards the female turian, frowning. He had not been expecting to see one here, of all places.

"Uh…hi…" Garrus said, unsure of what he should say.

"Hi there," the female replied. Her voice was gentle but with a stern layer underneath, as if the persona she had on her outside was greatly different to the one within her: soft on the outside, hard on the inside. It was the sort of demeanour that could lull anybody into a false sense of security. Garrus would not be surprised if she was capable of beating him up. She seemed the type, especially with her well-tone frame and confident stance.

"You looked pretty bad when they threw you in here," the female continued, "Did he torture you?"

"Torture?" Garrus nodded, thinking that by "he" she meant Roland. "Yeah, he did. I think he did it just because he enjoyed it."

The female nodded slowly. Garrus thought that now that he had a reliable source of information he might be able to get some answers. Roland had been little help with this so maybe this female turian might be able to shed some light on his situation. She looked to have been down here for a while but she also looked like the type who kept up with what was going on.

"My name's Kelias Lalitherax," the female said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"I'm Garrus. Garrus Vakarian."

Kelias frowned, as if the name rung a bell somewhere in her mind. She shook her head after a moment though, as if she could not pinpoint the memory.

"I think I might have heard of you," she said, "But I don't know. I've just been down here for so long I've lost track of time…I try to keep up with what's happening around here but it's difficult. Roland prefers it if I just do the work he gives me and forget about everything else."

"How long have you been down here?" Garrus asked. It seemed that Kelias was another of Roland's prisoners, obviously one given a job judging by the fact that she had been in this workshop.

She stepped over to a wall and flicked on a small lamp that was on a table near it. The light from the lamp cast a bright yellow glow over one section of the wall, revealing numerous lines had been scratched into the rock. With a quick count Garrus found that there were thirty-seven of these lines.

"You've been here for thirty-seven days?" Garrus asked. He saw the digital clock on the table. It was late afternoon by the look of it.

"I get up at midnight every night to scratch another line into the wall," Kelias said, "That way I don't lose track of time entirely. It's hard to figure out whether it's night or day down here, although the clock helps. So do the meals I get given from the guards: usually dinner's the most complicated meal of the day."

"Do you know where we are?" Garrus asked, "Because I don't. I was knocked out and woke up down here with no idea as to where I was."

Kelias shook his head. It seemed that she knew no more than Garrus did about their location: they were underground, in an intricate tunnel network. If Roland had found a Prothean beacon then it was probably around the tunnels somewhere, as would be the Prothean ruins.

"I don't know anymore than you do about where we are," Kelias replied, her expression grim, "but one day, a while back, I was able to hack that computer terminal by the wall. I got beaten up by Roland's guards when they detected me doing it but not before I had managed to get some information. We're on a colony world, which one exactly I don't know. What I do know is that we're inside a mountain in the middle of a desert. Escaping here would be the equivalent of committing suicide."

"I want to get out of here," Garrus said, "Because I'm not going to stay here and get tortured by some psychopath. I've got commitments…" He trailed off, unable to not think of Shepard as he said this. He cared little about the desert landscape outside. He knew he had to get out of here somehow, if only to be reunited with Shepard.

"And so do I," Kelias replied, "But trying to survive in a stinking hot desert just doesn't seem worth the trouble."

"Are you sure we're in a desert?"

"As sure as I'll ever be," Kelias said. She pulled a dirtied piece of cloth from one pocket and used it to wipe clean on of her taloned hands. She had obviously been at work for a fair while before Garrus' arrival…at work on what was unknown to Garrus. He gazed around the workshop again. His eyes fell on a recognizable item.

Garrus stood up and paced towards it, hefting the silver suitcase with one hand. It was open and with some surprise he found it to be completely empty. He felt anger deep inside as he realized that he had just gone to all of these lengths…the suitcase had been the reason why Sommers had gone to the remote jungle planet. Garrus had been so curious as to what was inside…

He slammed the empty case down on the table, the object sounding out with a loud _clang!_ Kelias stepped towards him, looking somewhat bemused to his anger.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The suitcase…It's empty…"

Kelias frowned.

"That's probably because I took out what was inside it," she said. Garrus looked up, his anger subsiding momentarily. Part of him wanted to find out just what had been inside for all of this trouble to have been caused. It must have been something important…

Kelias walked over to a nearby table. Garrus watched her carefully, his eyes flitting down to her rather supportive waist. She was certainly attractive and perhaps no older than twenty-five. Her eyes were a striking blue colour, much like his own. Thoughts of Shepard re-entered his mind at that moment and he knew that he could not get distracted. He had to escape and reconnect with galactic society, since he had been away from it for some time.

Garrus followed her to the table and looked down at what was spread across it. Sleek silver metal encased a glowing orange crystal, one that was perhaps no larger than six inches in length. Loose wires hung from the side of the device, some connected up to power packs while others had become somewhat frayed. Garrus did feel some disappointment at what he saw, primarily because he had been expecting so much more from the inside of the suitcase. All of that trouble and for what? A shiny crystal and a bunch of wires? What a joke. Garrus felt like hitting someone, probably Roland if he got the chance.

"That's it?" Garrus shook his head, practically incredulous. "Is that all was in there?"

"I'm not too sure about it myself," Kelias said.

"What do you mean?" Garrus frowned again at Kelias' statement. How could she not know what it was? She had been working on it…It occurred to him then that there was still a lot he knew little about when it came to the situation he had found himself in. He was still in the dark about his purpose in all of this. He had no idea what Kelias had to do with this either. What would an attractive young female turian like her be doing as a captive of the obviously crazy Roland Halverson? So many questions, too few answers.

"Roland gave it to me and he told me that I would know what to do with it," Kelias explained, "You see, Garrus, I was one of the lead researchers on this top secret project. Only the highest echelons of our military knew of its existence…"

"Roland mentioned something about a secret project," Garrus said, remembering the conversation he had shared with the psychopath all too well. "He didn't really explain what it had to do with…"

Kelias turned to him, her expression neutral. There was a slight glint in her eyes of something else, Garrus could not determine what exactly.

"It had to do with crystals. Ancient Prothean crystals. A few had been found in a set of ruins several years ago and further study revealed that they were emitting some sort of energy…Prothean records did not mention much to do with the crystals, save that they were the result of experiments conducted by the long dead race."

Garrus could see where this was going. He kept quiet as Kelias explained, unable to help but think that he had gotten involved in something quite big.

"I'm probably not supposed to be telling you this," Kelias said. She smiled at the thought. "Then again, what have I got to lose? You're the first person I've seen in thirty-seven days who isn't here to simply make sure I don't do anything I'm not supposed to."

"Are you sure?" Garrus asked. He realized that maybe this was all some sort of test Roland had provided him, trying to trick him into a false sense of security using a pretty young female turian. "I could be working for Roland…"

Kelias shook her head, laughing briefly. "No, you're not with Roland. I can tell."

"I'm that easy to read, am I?"

"Yeah, you are." Kelias seemed to find Garrus' reaction amusing. The male turian was left feeling somewhat unsure of himself.

"The energy the crystals emitted seemed to…well, they actually seemed to bend time itself." Kelias smiled as he said this, noticing Garrus' sceptical look. "I'm not making this up…why would I?"

"Bend time?" Garrus shook his head. This was all he needed: further complications in an already very complicated matter.

"It took years to work it out," Kelias continued, "My father was the lead researcher…Until an accident in the lab put him in hospital. As far as I know, he's dead. I'm pretty sure Roland killed him. Hell, Roland's probably killed everyone involved on the project except me."

"Why did he keep you alive?" Garrus asked. He regretted asking the question the instant he said it, primarily because of the callous way he delivered it. Kelias did not seem to mind and answered it like she would any other question.

"He says I have a part to play in everything," Kelias said, "I don't know what drugs he's been taking, but I think he thinks he's going to save the galaxy with this crystal. He's sort of crazy."

"Sort of?" Garrus scoffed. "He's insane."

Kelias shrugged and continued talking:

"The whole aim of the project was to harness the energy of the crystals and create practical uses for it. Imagine what we could do if we could actually slow down time in a select radius? Speed it up? Even travel through time itself?"

Garrus shook his head. Something about the whole idea of time travel did not appeal to him. Perhaps that was what Roland had meant when he had mentioned that the turian scientists had been "dabbling in things beyond their comprehension".

"Problem is, the project was interrupted before we could make progress," Kelias said, "Roland started killing everybody…well, him and his goons. Somehow they had found out about the project and they wanted our research and they wanted me. I only found this out _after_ I had been abducted. They snatched me right out of my apartment on the Citadel." She shook her head as she said this, as if she still could not believe it.

"You don't seem too bothered by all of this," Garrus said. Kelias certainly seemed quite calm and collected for someone who had been locked up for over a month, forced to work on some impossible project for a complete nutcase. This was even more noticeable considering her father was apparently dead.

Kelias shrugged.

"I've learned to live with it," she said, "Besides, it's not like I'm not planning to escape. I've been considering the notion for a while. Roland's made me start building some sort of device to harness the energy…he even gave me some diagrams to help me get started. It's as if he knows more about it then I do. If he does, why does he even need me?" Kelias let the question hang in the air for a moment. Garrus knew immediately that there was far more to Roland than a man who had been brainwashed. Far, far more. There was a complicated scheme in progress and Garrus felt like he had become an intruder within it. He was an unexpected variable within the equation. And Roland had intended to use that new variable to his advantage. Perhaps he still was planning to.

"I don't know," Garrus replied, somewhat weakly. He felt a bit stupid for his weak response but what Kelias was explaining was beyond him. Bending time? He already had a headache. Time travel would simply make it worse.

"Yeah, well…That just leads me to something else. How did you end up caught in all of this?" Kelias had raised an eyebrow ridge as she asked the question.

"It's a long story," Garrus said. Kelias rolled her eyes at the cliché. There was a brief silence between the pair. Garrus walked over to a nearby bench, looking down at the assorted scraps of metal and pieces of technology lying upon it. Kelias certainly had been hard at work the past thirty-seven days, building all sorts of prototypes of the device that the crystal was now within. The crystal had been what had been within the suitcase and it occurred to Garrus that the power to manipulate time itself was one that no one could have. At least, this was what Colonel Sommers had made clear by trying to escape with the suitcase to a remote planet. There was one piece of the puzzle in place but there were still too many missing pieces.

"When you were brought in here," Kelias said, breaking the silence, "One of the guards told me that you were to help me with my work. I guess that Roland's given up on torturing you for now and he wants you to help me finish building the device."

"That bastard doesn't deserve our help," Garrus said bluntly. He clenched his right hand into a fist, realizing the apparent futility of his situation. He did not want to give up on his chances of seeing Shepard again. He would see her, one way or another. He sure as hell was not going to help Roland fulfil his complicated scheme.

"I know he doesn't," Kelias said. She stepped alongside him, providing the turian equivalent of a smile. "I said I was considering escape, even if there's only desert outside."

Garrus turned to her, their eyes meeting. There was something in those blue eyes of hers that seemed to set off the confidence within him. His doubts faded and his anger subsided. Kelias seemed to provide an aura of capability around her, as if she could do anything without trouble. She seemed so unshakable, so implacable…He was at ease in her presence, as much as he was in Shepard's presence.

"I've been working on the device Roland wants me to build," Kelias said, "But I've also been working on some other things. Progress has been slow by myself but maybe with you I might be able to get something done."

"Like what?"

"Like some sort of weapon…"

"And with it we'd fight our way out?" Garrus was intrigued by the prospect. If he had a chance to break out of here and slaughter everyone of Roland's goons and then Roland himself…well, he certainly would not pass up that opportunity.

"I've only drawn up some diagrams, nothing more," Kelias said, "Besides, I don't think I could bring myself to kill anyone. I don't know about you…"

"I can kill them for you," Garrus replied, "And for myself as well."

"What, are you some kind of sociopath or something?" Kelias frowned, although it was hard to tell whether she was being serious or not. Was Garrus a sociopath? Well, he did not like to think he was. Sure, he had problem with killing someone, just as long as they deserved that fate. And he had killed an awful lot of people, especially after joining up with Shepard.

"Uh…What?" Garrus asked.

Kelias smiled in response.

"Don't worry about answering that," Kelias said, "We're already getting ahead of ourselves anyway. I haven't actually started to build any of the weapons I've been thinking of. I have the parts I need, it's just that if I do build weapons, they're going to be fairly primitive. And the desert outside…I honestly don't know how we'll get through that."

"Just as long as these weapons can get us out of here alive, it doesn't matter," Garrus said, "And the desert…We'll just have to work that out when we get there." The prospect of escape had brightened his mood considerably. Primitive weapons? It did not matter. As long as they could kill when he needed them to and he would be out of here soon. It seemed strange to think that the first turian woman he had met in a long while would be one who would help him kill a whole lot of people. It did not bother him, the thought of killing, especially since all of Roland's goons and Roland himself deserved it.

"I'm going to need your help," Kelias said, "Roland obviously threw you in here to help me. He thinks I'm not making the progress I should be. Then again, I'm still not quite sure what I'm supposed to be building."

Garrus sat down on the table, looking towards Kelias thoughtfully. For once there was hope, and not a false hope: he would escape and he would find Shepard, as well as get to the bottom of what he had become involved in. To top it all off he had an attractive female turian for company.

There was a long silence as neither could think of anything else to say. Garrus was simply pondering over all that had happened and could happen now that he had an opportunity to prepare an escape attempt. So many questions, so few answers: he wanted to know the truth about Roland. What had he found out in the farthest reaches of the galaxy? And what was his grand scheme, the one that involved Kelias, some Prothean crystal and now Garrus?

"So, are you going to help me?" Kelias asked.

Garrus looked up, their eyes meeting again. She reminded him of Shepard, albeit more accessible. Shepard had a near impenetrable exterior shell about her that denied anyone from getting intimately close to her…except for Garrus. He had succeeded where others had failed. Even Lieutenant Alenko had had noticeable trouble in getting to Shepard. Garrus could remember the four way confrontation in the comm room once, after they had come back from Noveria: It had been him, Kaidan, Liara and Shepard. And the Commander had chosen him. She had turned out to be everything he could have ever wanted and perhaps more. And he needed to see her again. If anything happened to her, he had no idea how he would cope.

"Yeah, I'll help you," Garrus replied after a moment's thought. Kelias seemed to smile at this response…only slightly and it was barely noticeable. She seemed like the kind of turian Garrus would have liked to get to know better if his mind had not already been set on Shepard. Once he was out of this place he would find her, somehow. He was determined to find her and he would not accept anything less.

"We should get started," Kelias said, breaking Garrus out of his reverie.


	18. BreakIn

**Chapter XVII: Break In**

For a week the _Normandy_ had been parked in the spaceport within the main settlement on Hallian, an indication of the dead-end the Commander had reached in her investigation. Commander Katelyn Shepard would not leave, not until she was absolutely certain that nothing could be done concerning the assignment she had received. She had contacted numerous sources, most of them on Hallian: she had spoken with Alliance officials who had once helped in running the colony before it had been left to develop on its own. None had been to helpful although one of them, an old man who had once been part of a scientific research team, had mentioned something about Prothean ruins out in the desert somewhere. Shepard knew that there was something going on behind the scenes and that Kaslin Kevkas, the turian who ran the Dark Talons mercenary organization, was hiding something. She had not come this far in her career without learning how to tell if someone was lying or not.

There were still other things on her mind, namely Garrus Vakarian. He had been missing for a while now, how long exactly was impossible to determine: times were different on different regions of different planets, so what may have been a week for him could have only been a day to Shepard. It pained her to think that she would never see him again and it frustrated her whenever she realized just how fruitless her attempts at finding him had been. The Alliance was not going to waste time and ships trying to find one turian, nor was any other governing body going to waste their time with what seemed like a fruitless search. Nobody cared enough to find him save for Shepard, who was in no position to try. One ship could not scour the entire galaxy and scan every habitable world for one turian life-sign: it would take more than one lifetime to complete such an undertaking. By that time Garrus would be dead…unless, of course, he was already dead. He could very well be and there would be no way to find out unless his body was actually discovered. It was hopeless and despite all of this, Shepard was still determined she would find him. Maybe it was false hope, but as someone had once said, "false hope is better than no hope at all."

Most of the crew were getting restless, having expected R&R and instead getting another assignment. Shepard doubted they would ever get shore leave at this rate, not that she cared: as long as she had her ship and her crew, there was still a chance they could find Garrus, wherever he was. He had been snatched right from her in the most sudden and abrupt of ways. Why or how was still unknown. Shepard doubted she would ever find out the reasons behind it. In all, it could be considered "bad luck" on the part of Garrus: who was to know that Colonel Sommers would end up opening some sort of teleporter to another planet and that Garrus would end up going through it?

Shepard sat alone at the table in the mess hall, unable to stomach the coffee she had made for herself. Local time, here on Hallian, was late evening: everybody else on the ship had had dinner while she had had no appetite, something that was uncharacteristic for her. Usually she would eat a fair bit…her biotics meant she needed the extra calories. She was what was often known as a "vanguard", using her biotics and firearms to take down opponents with quick and brutal force. It had seemed the best choice for her since she liked the action, the feeling of getting right into the thick of it. Combat was not something that she dreaded, unlike most soldiers: she loved it. Getting shot at, things getting blown up all around…it was exciting, to say the least. Some would call her crazy, but she did not mind. Often being crazy was the only way anyone would be able to survive a lengthy stint in the military. No wonder she got along so well with Wrex, since they seemed to share the same attitudes towards combat situations. There was no use in being negative about them when they were part of your job, she thought. If she was going to cry about them she would have gotten a desk-job.

Sure, she had her fair share of nightmares but didn't everybody? What had happened on Torfan seemed to be the most prominent of the recurring dreams, followed closely by dreams of her younger years as an orphan on the streets in one of Earth's many massive poverty-stricken cities. The tall monolithic buildings, the grimy backstreets…despite how old those memories were they were still quite vivid. They were always going to be vivid and they would remain that way for the rest of her life.

It had taken some thinking to finally admit she liked Garrus. When they had first met she had quickly quelled the idea, thinking that turians and humans could not…mix. As time went on she began to think otherwise, especially from the way Garrus would often look at her when he thought she was not paying attention to him. She had showed him that the only way to get a job done was by any means necessary, regardless of the consequences. Often innocents had to die to get a job done and Garrus had whole-heartedly agreed. He had often seemed a bit awkward when he was near her but once she got him talking that awkwardness seemed to disappear. For someone so proficient on the battlefield, it seemed that Garrus had little idea about how to handle women. Shepard found that rather…cute. She smiled as she thought about this before realizing that the turian was no longer here. She just missed him, that was all. Thinking about him like this may or may not help or situation. She did not want to forget him but she did not want to ponder so much on him that she would become an emotional wreck. He was the only one she felt genuinely comfortable with, whether that be because of their shared outlook on life or something else. Wasn't there a saying to go with this? "Love worked in mysterious ways." Was it love? She was not sure. Then again, she was pretty sure what had happened that night between them had been _love_. For all their physical differences, Garrus had been absolutely mind-blowing in bed. It might have hurt a little but Shepard could put up with it, especially when the pleasure completely outweighed the pain.

Shepard took a sip from her mug of coffee, finding it to be lukewarm and practically tasteless. The coffee machine on the ship was far from being able to make a perfect coffee. Then again, the food on any ship was somewhat sup-par. Shepard finished off the last of the coffee anyway, her mind wandering to the assignment she had been given. All of the things that did not add up still intrigued her but worried her at the same time. So many dead scientists, most killed by fire. There had been only one lead and that had taken them to Hallian. And it had taken them to a dead-end. At least, it looked like one. Shepard knew that Kaslin Kevkas was hiding something. His type was always hiding something. He ran a mercenary organization…how could he _not_ be hiding something?

Shepard sat back in her seat, pondering over everything that had happened. First Garrus, then the assignment…Not only did she feel absolutely powerless when it came to finding Garrus but she felt so damn useless when it came to the assignment. In fact, it seemed like Admiral Hackett had given her this assignment in order to get her out of the public limelight. She was a hero after all and chances are there would be many people and organizations with interests in using her celebrity status to suit their own ends. Hackett had done her a favour to send her to some backwater world where most people did not even know who she was. She would have to buy the Admiral a drink for that, since she was certain that getting flanked by reporters and die-hard fans would simply annoy her. So much so she may just punch one of those reporters. She smiled at the thought: the press always managed to piss her off somehow. It was funny: after saving the galaxy she gets no time for a break. Instead, she gets thrown into some quite frustrating situation.

What would she do? She was at a loss, primarily because she had little idea as to what she should be doing here on Hallian. Kaslin was hiding something but he cared little for her Spectre status: he would not talk, even if she arrested him and threatened him. Besides, an asshole like him would have many powerful friends. Even so, what was to say that Kaslin did know about the mysterious man who had been going around burning scientists alive? And why the hell would that mysterious man be on Hallian?

Shepard buried her head in her hands and sighed. All she wanted was Garrus back safe and sound, that way she might be able to think clearly. The assignment was bullshit but it was her duty to do it. She would not give up on that duty, far from it. If it had not been for what had happened to Garrus she doubted she would be having so many issues with the assignment. If Garrus was here he would be telling her to get off her ass and arrest Kaslin. She smiled at the thought, especially since it was so like Garrus: he could be quite cocky and he would not waste time sitting around like Shepard was now. He would go out there and do what had to be done, to complete the mission…

It struck her just how much of a gap seemed to be in her life now that he was gone. She had only known him for a few months and they had only spent the one night together in an intimate fashion…it was as if his disappearance had left a hole in her life here on board the _Normandy_. He had been a part of that life and without him it did not seem as "full" anymore. She had never reckoned she would develop such a strong bond with a turian but then again she had never reckoned she would save all sentient life in the galaxy. The latter had occurred so why could not the former? There was no reason why. It _had_ happened and she found it rather amusing, primarily because it had not been expected. It was also quite depressing now since Garrus was no longer around.

She knew she was just wasting time, sitting around drowning in her own frustration and misery. That fiery determination she had had days earlier when she had told herself that she would find Garrus had all but gone. It had been too long: sooner or later she would have to get on with her life, her brief fling with the hot-headed turian to become a mere memory. He could still be alive for all she knew…he could even be on this very planet and she would not even realize it.

How much longer would she stay on Hallian? She needed leads and so far she had got very little of them. The mysterious man with the penchant for setting people on fire would simply remain and undiscovered enigma: whatever he was doing would remain a mystery. Kaslin's connection to it would remain unknown. No, she would find out: she would not leave until she had something to go on. The assignment could take her mind off of Garrus' disappearance. It would help her get on with her life for a while, despite the fact thoughts about the turian still weighed quite heavily on her mind.

Finally she stood up and made her way over to one of the dispensers on the walls: a drinks dispenser, able to supply many varieties of beverages. She paused for a moment, using one hand to manipulate the dispenser's holographic panel in order to search through the list of drinks on offer. She finally settled on lemonade and a moment later the panel on the front of the machine opened and a plastic cup filled with somewhat lukewarm lemonade was waiting for her. She took it up in one hand and sipped the contents carefully, still unable to fathom why the drinks on this ship were never chilled. She suspected that the refrigeration units down on the supply deck were malfunctioning…usually she would have mentioned this to the ship's maintenance people but right now she could not be bothered.

She went to sit back down but found a large and recognizable figure standing behind her. It was Wrex and he was looking his usual serious self, perhaps more so than usual. Shepard took a moment to try and determine what he was thinking from the way he was looking at her: was he annoyed or angry or just stern? Rarely did Wrex ever manage the krogan equivalent of a smile…that was only if krogans could smile and Shepard did not think they did. There was no real way of finding out, especially since she doubted krogans smiled the same way humans did. It then struck her as rather fruitless trying to work out what Wrex was thinking by reading his expression.

"Wrex…" Shepard frowned, unsure of what to say.

"Shepard," Wrex said simply.

"What do you want, Wrex?"

"I want to know what we're still doing on this backwater planet, Shepard," Wrex replied bluntly, his deep voice edged with annoyance. Shepard shrugged. She still was not quite sure about this either: she had tried to find leads and had been unsuccessful. She refused to leave anyway, primarily because there were still things that did not add up. It seemed unsurprising that Wrex would be the most annoyed about their lack of activity. He probably had better things to do than hang around a backwater colony world all day.

"I'm trying to find leads," Shepard replied. She took a sip from the cup of lemonade, trying to work out whether lying was worth it.

"You and I both know there aren't any," Wrex said, "Personally, I think we should just walk into Kaslin's estate and shoot him. He's an asshole, after all."

Shepard smiled when she heard this. Wrex was always the one for shooting the place up. She often agreed with this approach but not this time around. She may have been a Spectre, but simply walking into a heavily guarded estate and killing the goons inside without reason would be crossing the line. Sure, there was not much of a Council at the moment but she was sure there were still enough annoying politicians around to denounce her actions.

"I don't know about that, Wrex," Shepard said, "We haven't got any evidence to backup that sort of plan. As much as I want to do it, shooting Kaslin's estate up for no reason probably won't go down well with my superiors…"

"Screw your superiors," Wrex interrupted, "I'm getting tired of all this waiting around. Either we're going to do something about that turian now, or we're probably best off leaving. And I know you don't want to leave: you don't like leaving jobs half-finished, and I don't either."

Shepard frowned. Just what was Wrex implying? She was intrigued, especially if Wrex had a better idea of how to go about furthering their progress in the assignment they had been given.

"What do you suggest we do?" She asked.

The krogan seemed to think carefully about this for a moment. For the first time in a while, Wrex looked genuinely _thoughtful_. Shepard did not have to wait very long for Wrex to reply, especially since he seemed to already have his mind set on one particular course of action.

"We break into his estate and find out what he's doing and whether he's hiding anything," Wrex said, "And then, once we have the proof we need, we can kill him."

Shepard nodded. She could not understand why she had not thought of this approach already. Maybe she had but had simply let it slip her mind as thoughts about Garrus crept back in. Now that someone else was suggesting it to her it seemed like a wholly acceptable plan of approach. And it was one she would be more than willing to do now that she thought carefully about it. Breaking in might be difficult but she was sure she could do it…what she would ultimately need to find was unknown, but any sort of proof would do: proof that linked Kaslin to the deaths of the researchers and the mysterious man who seemed to like setting things on fire.

"Break in?" Shepard nodded in agreement. "I can't imagine you breaking in and keeping a low profile…"

"Then you do it," Wrex said, "Once you get what you need, we can regroup and then work out how to kill him."

Shepard was already beginning to formulate some sort of plan in her mind. Wrex had sparked some of the waning confidence within her. She smiled at him, despite the fact that Wrex simply gave her a completely unamused look.

"Thanks Wrex," she said, starting to walk towards the elevator. Wrex watched her walk away, somewhat confused.

"Thanks for what?" He asked as she left.

"The idea," Shepard said simply as she stepped into the elevator. She would go down to engineering and ready the gear she would need to break in. She knew she would have to be alone for this sort of work, not that she minded. Trying to sneak in when other people were accompanying you would be more difficult than simply having to worry about yourself. 

* * *

Nights within the main settlement were often quiet, save for the bright neon lights that hung over the entrances to the numerous nightclubs and bars that dotted the main street. Kaslin Kevkas' large and almost obscenely expensive estate was far from any of the town's main nightlife, placing it in a darkened corner of the town that was far quieter than any other neighbourhood. The perimeter walls were thick stone, painted a light and inviting beige colour that appeared as a dull grey in the darkness. Small lights were set in the ground at the edges of the drive way but otherwise the whole estate was dark. The shutters on its many windows were drawn and the grounds were silent, save for the footsteps of the armed guards on patrol. Two of the, a turian and a human, stood in the back gardens within a small gazebo, speaking quietly.

Shepard had made sure to search town records for blueprints of the estate. After studying them for an hour or two she had discovered that the most ideal way inside was to head into the basement first and work her way up. She knew that Kaslin had a computer in her office: she would use her omni-tool to bypass its security and download anything of interesting. Judging from the lack of activity at the estate she reckoned that Kaslin was asleep or perhaps not even in the estate.

She had outfitted herself in a suit of light and flexible armour that was of a black and grey colour scheme in order to let her blend into the darkness better. The rear wall of the estate was devoid of guards on the outside and the street behind was empty of pedestrians. Shepard had no trouble jumping and climbing up over the wall, landing carefully on the grass within the estate's rear grounds. Her fall was quiet and did not attract the attention of the two guards in the gazebo up ahead, nor did the human mercenary on patrol some distance to her left hear her arrival. Breathing a sigh of relief, she headed into cover behind some thick hedges and pondered her next move.

There would be a window into the basement and adjoining garage somewhere at the back of the estate. She could not make it out in the darkness too well, so she slid on a set of light enhancement visors and took a better look. The light enhancement visors significantly brightened everything she could see, casting an eerie green haze over her vision. She spotted another guard, a human mercenary, standing by a small window set close to the ground. This window had a metal grille behind it but Shepard was confident she could overcome that obstacle. The guard standing right near the window, on the other hand, would be a little trickier. Carefully she unsheathed her combat knife from where it was being holstered at her waist. The blade glinted in the starlight, its serrated edge looking all the more menacing. Looking up briefly, Hallian's multiple moons were quite visible in the cloudless night sky, casting bright but subdued glows over the colony. It was still quite dark though and Shepard would have to keep the light enhancement visors on until she was inside.

Carefully she set forwards, using the hedges as cover. The human mercenary patrolling along the rear wall kept moving back and forth, rifle held sloppily upon one shoulder while he whistled to himself. The human and the turian standing under the shade of the gazebo were talking quietly but were both quite audible in the silence of the estate grounds.

"Okay, okay, I got a joke," the human merc said.

"Oh no…" The turian began, but was interrupted.

"Why did the rooster cross the road?"

The turian sighed. "Usually I'd ask what I rooster is, but I don't think I'll bother."

"Because his dick was stuck up the chicken's ass!" The human howled with laughter and the turian simply shook his head.

"What's a chicken?"

Shepard kept near the hedges as she made her way to the back of the estate building itself. The guard near the window took a step back and leaned against the wall, unable to be anything but bored. Getting assigned night-time guard duty anywhere could be awfully dull. Shepard held the combat knife at the ready, pondering whether she should kill the guard or not. She was a Spectre, she could get away with it.

Carefully she moved along the wall of the building, keeping low and quiet. The guard did not see her until the last moment and even by that time he had no chance to react to her presence: Shepard stood up and brought the knife in a careful but fluid sweeping motion, cutting under the three-quarter visor on the guard's helmet and slashing his throat. He went down bleeding everywhere and gargling, blood trickling down the front of his armour. Shepard caught him before he hit the ground, placing him softly onto the grass as to not attract attention.

Crouching, she began work at the window: she used the tip of the combat knife to turn the screws on the window frame, removing the entire window and placing it to her side. She did the same to the grating beyond. Once both obstacles were removed she carefully slid her legs through the wide but quite short opening, sliding her whole body through and landing after a short drop onto the floor of the basement. The basement itself was quite dark, cluttered with boxes while a set of washing machines and driers were in one corner. No doubt this doubled as a laundry, with tables covered with carefully folded clothing. On the wall was a computer terminal, presumably the one responsible for the VI that controlled the estate's security systems.

Switching on the terminal, Shepard used her omni-tool to upload a temporary disruption program that would disable the VI for a few hours. It was undetectable by most computer systems so no one should notice if the security systems were not functioning properly for a few hours. With that out of the way Shepard made her way up the stairs nearby, stopping by the door at the top. She turned the handle slowly and pushed it open slightly: the hallway beyond was dimly lit and populated by a lone turian guard who was pacing up and down the hallway restlessly.

Once he had gone by the door, Shepard stepped out. The turian turned around but Shepard made sure she was quick, jamming the blade of the knife into the front of the turian's throat before pulling it to one side in a harsh slashing motion. Dark blue blood shot out in geyser's as major arteries were severed, some of it splattering onto the front of Shepard's armour. The turian seemed surprised and tumbled forwards, Shepard catching him in her arms and setting him down upon the carpeted floor softly.

With that guard down Shepard started along the hall, remembering the numerous displays and hanging artworks from her last visit to the estate. Kaslin's office was on the next floor so Shepard made her way to a set of stairs at the far end of the estate, carefully creeping up them as another turian guard passed by the doorway at the top of the staircase.

She stopped in the doorway and waited for the turian guard to come back past. He did and she was quick to grab him, silencing him as she slashed open his throat. She had to expend some effort in doing so, primarily because a turian's scaly skin could make cutting into it quite difficult. She set the dead guard down onto the floor and started through the next hall, able to see the double doors that lead into Kaslin's office up ahead.

There were a few open doorways along the hall and she tread carefully past them, noticing that in one it appeared that a lone turian guard was standing in the dark, peering through the window. Shepard knew she was close to her goal and her heart had begun to race in her chest. The beating of it seemed louder than normal and for a moment she was worried that someone might hear it…before she quashed this absurd notion and continued to the doors of the office.

Trying the handles she found that they were locked. She had been prepared for this and removed a small keyhole sized charge, or "disposable pick" as they were otherwise known and slid it into the lock on the old-fashioned hinged doors. A few seconds later and there was a faint sizzling sound and a trail of smoke wafted from the destroyed lock. Turning the handle she pushed the door open, finding the office to be quite dark save for the dim blue moonlight that found its way through the curtains over the window behind the desk.

Shepard slowly stepped inside, just in time for the doors to slam shut behind her. She went to pull the light-enhancement visors from her eyes but was too slow as the lights within the room switched on, the visors enhancing the light tenfold and leaving white scorch marks flickering on her vision. She pulled the visors off anyway and went for her pistol, aiming straight ahead at the figure standing behind the desk.

Kaslin Kevkas was dressed in a dark casual outfit and what was obviously some sort of grey armoured jacket. He looked at Shepard was a careful gaze, a hint of smugness crossing his turian features. Shepard realized then that there were two guards behind her, both having hidden by the door as she stepped inside. One was a young looking human woman with blonde hair whilst the other was a big and presumably old krogan, complete with numerous scars on his battle-weary features. How Kaslin had known she was coming was unknown but she assumed that he had probably received word from the spies he had down at the spaceport. Those same spies had probably planted listening devices within the_ Normandy_.

"Commander Shepard, I should have you shot for trespassing," Kaslin said, "And for killing three of my guards. For that, I should kill you three times over. What is it that you humans say? 'An eye for an eye'?"

Shepard kept her pistol trained on him despite the fact that two mercenaries had shotguns trained on her at near point blank range. They would certainly leave a mess of her if they fired.

"I should just shoot you now," Shepard said, "Something tells me you'll be trouble later on."

Kaslin laughed. His smug demeanour was beginning to annoy Shepard profoundly. She suddenly had the urge to wipe that smug turian grin off of his face completely.

"Shepard, I told you that I had no information about the man you have been assigned to find. I expected you to leave…"

"You're full of shit," Shepard snapped, becoming annoyed at the turian's smugness, "And I'm going to get to the bottom of whatever's going on here. That means I'm not going to leave. And once I find out what's going on, I'm going to kill you."

Kaslin shook his head. The notion seemed to amuse him.

"You've got it backwards, Shepard: if you cross paths with me again, _I'll_ kill you. I honestly couldn't care less if you're a Spectre or not: it makes no difference. You see, you're beginning to annoy me. I like to have my annoyances eliminated before they can become outright threats. You're not a threat, not yet anyway. You're just an annoyance, a nuisance, a pest." Kaslin paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. Shepard narrowed her gaze, unable to help but feel that she had to prove that she was a threat. She thought of firing her pistol but that would have simply resulted in the two guards behind her killing her on the spot. This was not worth dying for, she knew that.

"This Spectre status of yours has begun to get to your head, impair your better judgement," Kaslin said, "I can't make you leave this planet, but I can make you leave my estate." He gestured to the two guards. "Sarah, Taklas: escort the Commander outside. I'm done talking with her for tonight."

Shepard lowered the pistol as the woman, Sarah, and the krogan, Taklas, grabbed her from behind. She shot one final, disgruntled gaze towards Kaslin who simply watched her leave with a neutral gaze. He was hiding something, Shepard knew that. Whatever it was, Shepard would not be leaving this planet until she got to the bottom of it. She would be back in this estate one way or another, even if she had to shoot her way through. Judging by what was going through her mind, this action seemed inevitable.


	19. Threats

**Chapter XVIII: Threats**

The night was rather uneventful, save for the discussions he had with Kelias. Garrus Vakarian was still quite frustrated at the situation he had found himself in, especially after all that had happened. He was determined to escape from the underground bunker, regardless of whether there was a desert outside or not.

Kelias had been drawing up careful diagrams of items she had been thinking of building to aid in her escape. Most were of the weapon variety and she had told him that she could not bring herself to kill someone, even if she managed to build any of the plans she had drawn up. To make sure Roland never discovered the plans she had drawn up pieces of the items on separate sheets and the whole thing could be revealed by putting the sheets over or under each other in the light.

Some of the things she had suggested to build were things Garrus had not even thought possible. She had told him some more about herself and her previous line of work before being captured: she had worked on numerous weapons research projects, building prototypes of weapons systems. She had been one of the lead designers of the stealth systems on board the _Normandy_. The things she was suggesting to build now sounded absurd, until Garrus realized that she was quite serious and had even drawn up detailed diagrams of.

Early in the evening, Kelias pulled a bunch of thin paper sheets out of a drawer and placed them in the light upon one of the less cluttered tables. Garrus stood next to her as she showed off her handiwork, placing the sheets into a neat pile so the pieces drawn on them matched up correctly. It was of a complex but rough-shod looking weapons system, including some sort of large pack one would wear on their back connected to a large, almost unwieldy gun. Undoubtedly the pack contained the weapon's power source…why a weapon would need such a big power source was unknown. Garrus frowned when he saw the full diagram, unsure of what to make of it. Kelias seemed quite serious about it and since she seemed to know what she was doing, Garrus realized his doubts were ill-placed.

"Uh…what is it?" He asked.

"Something that I once worked on for our military," Kelias replied, "The project in question was closed down because it was seen to be a waste of money. The things we were working on, however, can be built to a working standard. It's our best chance of escape…as long as you're the one doing the killing. I don't think I could bring myself to kill anyone unless I really had to…"

"You'll probably need to," Garrus commented. There was an awkward but brief silence between the two of them. Kelias clasped her taloned hands nervously, the thought of killing someone suddenly weighing heavily on her mind.

"It's a particle accelerator cannon," Kelias said, breaking the silence, "And the backpack contains power cells and a kinetic barrier generator. We can probably build it within the week, we have all the materials we need…"

"_Particle accelerator_?" Garrus frowned. Such weapons systems were only theoretical. It occurred to him that there was probably good reason why projects to build such weapons were kept top secret. If the taxpayers ever found out what obscenely expensive projects they were funding there would be backlash against the government. It was better to keep things such as this secret. The whole idea of "particle acceleration" had aroused Garrus' curiosity somewhat, especially since Kelias was looking serious about it.

"It works, it's been tested," Kelias replied, "it's just never been put to practical use. The power drain is far too much, hence why once this weapon's been built we'll probably only have a half hour before it drains itself completely. I don't know if that's long enough, but it's our best bet to get out of here. What we do once we're out, I have no idea."

"A half hour's all we need," Garrus said.

"It'll be even less time than that once you start firing the thing," Kelias added.

As the night went on the pair began to work. Garrus had since told the guards in the corridor outside to get him some decent clothing and they had delivered some tight black pants and a matching vest to the workshop. Garrus had put the items of clothing on, finding that the pants were in fact far too tight. He still wore them, he just did not like to think of the effects they had on his fertility.

Kelias seemed quite open for someone he had only just met a few hours ago. She told him some more about himself as they worked, hammering and melding parts with a plasma cutter as they began construction of the particle accelerator cannon. Garrus was not sure where to start but Kelias told him what he needed to do and how he needed to do it, showing him where necessary. She seemed to have no problem grabbing his hands and guiding them to what needed to be done. In fact, she seemed to like having him as company. Then again, Garrus would have liked any sort of company if he had been locked up in an underground workshop for over a month. After being mostly alone on a jungle planet, Garrus had been provided with a friendly and certainly attractive companion here in the workshop. The issue he had with her was that she reminded him too much of Shepard, the eyes especially: they were light blue and certainly striking, glinting in the white light of the workshop like a pair of expensive jewels. They contained an inner fury, perhaps not as noticeable as it was with Shepard but it was there all the same. Usually Garrus would take this as a hint that Kelias was somewhat fiery tempered and ruthless but she did not show these traits. Perhaps she was hiding her toughness from him? Why would she do that? It was often said that men liked their women to be gentler than they were, just so they could feel superior. If Kelias was hiding her toughness just so Garrus could feel superior then maybe she had a thing for him. Garrus would be lying if he said he did not find her attractive but he could not help but think of Shepard every time he looked at Kelias.

As they worked she told him about herself. She had grown up on a colony world, her father had been a lead scientist for the military and her mother had been a stay-at-home wife. It had been her father who had spiked her interest in science and she had followed in his footsteps. Her line of work had often denied her the chance of ever settling down with a man, something which she added a bit too much emphasis on for Garrus' liking. He could already tell that she liked him, but he pretended that it was not the case. He did not want to betray Shepard, especially since she was probably going out of her way to search for him.

In return, Garrus told him a bit about himself. His younger years on Palaven, his irritating younger brother (now deceased), his time in the military and his later time in C-Sec. He made it absolutely clear that he hated C-Sec, especially since the organization had mired itself into incompetency and was full of bureaucrats. Working with Commander Shepard, on the other hand, was far more rewarding. There was very little paperwork and far more of actually going out into the galaxy and doing something about the wrongdoers that could be so commonly found throughout. Kelias seemed to have heard something about Saren and Shepard but she had been in this bunker for too long to actually know much more. She did not even know that the Citadel had been attacked and so Garrus took the time to explain to her what had happened, all the while working on the weapon Kelias had suggested they construct. Chances are, if Roland was watching them through the surveillance camera, he would think that they were working on the device that he wanted Kelias to build. There were still many things that did not add up about what Kelias had told him, concerning time alteration and so forth. Garrus decided that it was not really his kind of thing anyway, especially since all he wanted to do was escape. The reasons behind why Kelias was here could be something he could ask about once they were out of here.

Kelias suggested they start hoarding supplies for what awaited them outside, although she made it awfully clear that this would only be useful _if_ they made it out alive. Garrus did not like to doubt their chances but he had to admit, getting out would be difficult even with an advanced weapon on their side. At one point during the night Kelias left Garrus to finish constructing one of the first parts of the particle accelerator while she went on to work on the device Roland wanted her to build. Kelias knew that she at least needed to pretend she was making progress with it in order to cover what they were really doing.

The night wore on and finally, after what seemed like an eternity of melding pieces together and fiddling with circuitry and power cells, Garrus Vakarian found his way over to the dirty mattress on the floor and fell asleep. It was not until late next morning that he awoke, finding Kelias had snuggled up next to him and fallen asleep there. Only slightly embarrassed he stood up, leaving the female turian to doze while breakfast arrived. One look at it was enough to make Garrus feel ill but he ate it anyway, discovering that Roland had made sure it was something that a turian could actually eat without having a bad reaction. There were some canned goods along with the main breakfast meal, so Garrus stored those away in order to make a start on the hoarding of supplies. If there really was a desert outside it would be best to be ready for it.

Kelias woke up a little while later, gave Garrus a slight grin and went straight back to work. Garrus was already thinking that any longer here and he would probably start looking at Kelias a little differently, even if Shepard was quite a large part of what he was thinking about. He doubted much could be done when in captivity but if they did survive their escape attempt…well, only time would tell.

It was another day spent working, with only some progress being made on the particle accelerator. Garrus could not help but wonder what Roland was thinking, watching the monitor connected to the surveillance camera that overlooked the room. How long before he finally became suspicious of what the pair was doing? How long before he actually paid a visit to them and decided to try and work out what exactly they were doing?

Garrus ended up burning himself with the plasma cutter on that day. It hurt like hell when it happened and it would leave a nasty but small scar on his left forearm. Kelias saw it happen and was immediately by his side with a small canister of medigel, one that had probably been store away somewhere for incidents like this. She insisted on rubbing it in herself despite the fact that Garrus was more than capable of doing it by himself. The cooling and pain relieving sensation was certainly satisfying. He looked at Kelias and could see that she was giving the turian equivalent of a grin…what for, he could not determine.

All of the work did give Garrus some time to think, especially when he was waiting on more parts to be delivered by the guards. Obviously no one suspected anything yet, especially since they were still more than happy to supply them with the parts and scraps they needed. By midday about half of the particle accelerator's power pack had been constructed. Kelias had begun construction on a few makeshift explosive charges. For someone who apparently had issues with killing people, she did not seem to have any qualms with building things that killed people. Garrus wondered how many lives the things she had helped to design and build had taken. Maybe she was not as much of a pacifist as she made herself out to be. Or maybe she just believed in the old "human" belief that it was not the guns that killed people but the people who fired them. Garrus had never really given such a matter much thought, primarily because he always had better things to worry about.

Roland was indeed watching via the monitor linked up to the surveillance camera that overlooked the workshop. Garrus turned his gaze towards the camera, his expression neutral. He knew then that Roland was looking straight at him through the camera and he knew then that suspicions were already raised. Garrus wondered if Roland would want to torture him again, for whatever reason. It was obvious that Roland enjoyed doing that sort of thing, even if there was no reason to. The man was a complete monster, just like Saren. And just like Saren, Roland was being controlled except this time there was no Reaper around to do it. There was something else, a presence that Garrus had only felt but never seen. There was far more to what Roland was doing than he was letting on, indicating that he was indeed under someone else's control. Roland was nothing but a puppet controlled behind the scenes. Whoever and whatever was controlling him was telling him now that the two turians in the workshop were up to something other than what they were supposed to be doing.

Garrus continued working nonetheless, determined more than ever to get to the bottom of what was going on. There was Roland's obvious secrets and the mystery of the apparent "time manipulation" device. Nothing was as it seems, far from the somewhat simple premise with Saren: that turian had been under a Reaper's control and wanted to bring the rest into the galaxy. With Roland, the motives were still unclear. However, if the device in question could indeed manipulate time than that made it a very powerful tool. Anybody who got hold of a working model could become literally invincible, able to go back and change things whenever it suited them. Garrus knew that this was why it was imperative that Roland be stopped, no matter what the cost. Roland was just another lunatic who needed to be put down. Garrus had done it numerous times before with other lunatics. It was part of his job. It was part of Shepard's job…

Thinking about her again made him frown. He ceased in the work he was doing for a moment, switching off the plasma cutter and taking the chance to admire his handiwork. The power pack was coming along as Kelias had diagrammed it…at least he thought so. Sure, he might have been good with technology but this sort of technology was beyond him. He was delving into the realm of prototypes and the sort of weapons technology that never saw the light of day. For an attractive young female, Kelias certainly knew a lot about this sort of thing. If Garrus had met her out on the street he would never have thought of her as a weapons researcher. Nearby, Kelias was working on the device, fiddling with a plasma cutter as she attempted to attach what looked to be small power cells into the framework of the device. Their gazes met for a moment and she simply smiled at him. Garrus returned the favour, although he was not entirely sure what there was to smile about. They were stuck down here, held captive by a lunatic and his private army. Garrus could tell that Kelias was the type of person who had no trouble remaining optimistic, despite the situation they were both in.

The day wore on and lunch came at the expected time. It was mostly nigh on inedible gunk that had little taste but would be enough to sustain the both of them. They stopped work to eat and Kelias tried to start a conversation, despite the fact that Garrus was not in the mood. She fell silent, looking somewhat downbeat. Regardless, the pair went on to work again. By evening most of the power pack had been completed and Kelias tested it by fitting the appropriate power cells. The transparent ridges on the back of the pack glowed a bright blue while a loud whirring sound was emanated from the machine. Garrus could feel the table vibrating underneath the machine and wondered what it would feel like to actually wear it, with it vibrating like this all of the time. They could not perfect it, especially with the materials they were being provided with. Scrap metal was not exactly high-grade manufacturer's material. Besides, Garrus was already tired of all the hard labour he had done today. For once he actually wanted to settle down and sleep. Kelias, on the other hand, seemed to have no qualms with continuing work later into the night. She somehow managed to persuade Garrus to do the same. The male turian did want to escape rather badly and stopping work for the night would only make the chance to escape come later, rather than sooner. He found that he could not say no to Kelias, strangely enough. It was up until about midnight according to the digital clock that they kept working, with Kelias beginning construction on the weapon itself while Garrus worked on calibrating the kinetic barrier generator on the power pack.

Garrus fell asleep in a chair at a table this night, waking up late the next morning. Kelias was already up and working on the particle accelerator, having made some progress from what they had done last night. She greeted him with a warm smile and Garrus simply nodded in acknowledgement, no longer in much of a mood to do much else. He stood up, flexed his muscles and went to urinate in the bucket in the corner. It occurred to him that he smelt rather bad, having gone without washing himself for God only knew how long. He wondered what Kelias thought of his body odour, only to realize that she smelt as bad as him. It was no surprise that their captors did not give them the option to wash themselves.

Zipping up his pants, Garrus strode over to where Kelias was and looked down at the items on the table. The "time manipulation" device was there, looking somewhat more constructed but still without a hint of any sort of working order. Did it really manipulate time? Kelias did not seem to be the type who would lie about this sort of thing. There was no way to prove what she said was true since the device did not work, nor could Garrus assume that it did not do what she said it did. Roland wanted her to build it, thus it must have been important to whatever "scheme" he had planned. The particle accelerator's power pack was large an unwieldy and must have weighed a tonne…Garrus hefted the mostly black metal item up, trying to envision himself wearing it on his back. He wondered what the actual weapon would do when complete. Even so, the pack was damn heavy. He put it back down onto the table, wondering how he would cope carting it around when it finally came time to escape. He glanced over at the surveillance camera in the corner absently, trying to work out if the people watching them suspected anything. Of course, this was impossible to determine. Garrus sighed and watched Kelias work, noticing how her taloned hands worked the plasma cutter and circuitry with a high degree of grace and finesse. She was definitely an expert at this sort of thing, there was no doubt about that.

She turned around and gave him a warm, inviting look. She seemed almost shy…why this was the case, Garrus did not know. Kelias was about to speak when the metal door into the workshop flung open. Both turians turned immediately towards the door, watching as a familiar figure strode inside, his face scrunched up into a rather strong look of irritation. He was followed by four human soldiers in light grey armour, their faces hidden behind tinted visors and unnecessary gas masks. Roland pointed a finger at Garrus and the turian felt his heart-rate increase as the four soldiers strode towards him. Two of them trained their assault rifles on him while the other two grabbed his arms, forcing him down onto his knees while Kelias looked on, aghast.

Roland had a cigar in his mouth, one he puffed on as Garrus was forced onto his knees. He stepped over to the turian and with one hand removed a combat knife from a sheath at his waist. Kelias was pushed a few paces back by one of the soldiers as Roland approached Garrus, the knife gripped tightly in his right hand.

"It has come to my attention, Kelias," Roland said, glancing over at the female turian, "That you may be doing something you're not supposed to be doing. For hours I watch you two work and talk and otherwise just screw around. I should have known that dumping Garrus into the workshop with you was a bad idea. That's why I've come to visit, to entice you into getting on with what you're meant to be doing."

Garrus looked up at Roland, his heart skipping a beat: did Roland know what they were doing? No, impossible. There was no way he could know what they were building, he simply knew that they were up to something. If Garrus was in his position he would have been suspicious as well. He cursed quietly under his breath, unable to help but think that he and Kelias had been busted. That could mean more torture and probably death, denying him the chance to see Shepard again. He wanted to see…no, he _needed_ to be reunited with her. All that had happened recently was simply beginning to become too much for him to handle. To be denied his chance of freedom from this place angered him. However, he knew better than to have an outburst now, especially when he was being forced onto his knees and held at gunpoint. He eyed Roland's combat knife carefully, knowing full well that the human would not hesitate to use it on him. In what manner exactly was left to Garrus' imagination…for now.

"Please…Roland…" Kelias stammered, caught completely off-guard by Roland's surprise visit. "I'm working as fast as I can…Any faster and I'll have to take shortcuts…"

"I'm not talking about that," Roland snapped. Kelias fell silent, unable to do anything but look on helplessly. Garrus prepared himself for whatever pain Roland would dish out, although deep down he was not too ready for it himself.

"You've betrayed me, Kelias," Roland continued. He looked at the items on the table, his eyes flitting across the partially assembled particle accelerator cannon and then to the time manipulation device. "Did Garrus here fill your mind up with vain hopes of escape, dear girl?" His gaze returned to Kelias and he looked at her almost pityingly. "The last thing I wanted him to do was to make you think you could escape. That's the last thing I want…and it's the last thing we all need."

Roland looked down at Garrus, smiling at him whilst holding the combat knife up to the light. Garrus kept his expression neutral but he was otherwise quite unnerved by Roland. Again, there was just something about him that the turian found unnerving. All of this talk of grand schemes and being the salvation of the galaxy…it gave the impression of insanity. Roland was obviously sane enough to run an operation like the one he had here in the underground complex.

"Garrus, it has occurred to me that you do not understand the gravity of the situation you are in," Roland said. With one gloved hand he felt along the combat knife's serrated edge, letting the silver metal glint in the light from the ceiling. "Kelias is here for a reason. You, on the other hand, are someone I know not what to do with. Killing you would be unwise, but if you continue you may leave me with no choice." He paused, letting his words sink in. Garrus was somewhat confused but kept his gaze neutral anyway.

Roland looked again at Kelias. He motioned to the two soldiers holding Garrus. They both helped to force the turian's head back while one of the soldiers stuck his gauntleted fingers into his mouth, forcing it open. Kelias remained rigid, watching with horror but too afraid to speak.

"You're going to tell me what you've been doing," Roland said. He stepped forward and put the blade of the combat knife to Garrus' mouth. "You're going to tell me the truth, Kelias dear girl…If you lie, I shall cut out Garrus Vakarian's tongue."

Garrus remained silent despite the fear that flowed through him. His tongue? He could tell that Roland was serious and would probably enjoy committing such an act. Garrus' eyes went to Kelias and she returned his gaze, unsure of what to do. If Roland knew they were up to something other than what he wanted them to do then Kelias could not say otherwise. If she tried to cover up what they were building then Garrus would suddenly find himself lacking a tongue.

There was a long silence. Garrus could see that Kelias was struggling to come up with what to say. Part of him wanted her to tell the truth, if only to stop him from having his tongue cut out. Another part of him wanted her to lie since if she did tell the truth Roland would probably destroy all the work they had done on the particle accelerator cannon.

"You cannot hide the truth from me, Kelias," Roland said, "So please, answer the question: What have you really been doing?"

Kelias swallowed. Garrus awaited whatever pain was coming to him, relaxing his muscles somewhat. He knew he needed to remain calm, struggling would just give Roland an excuse to hurt him. Still, he hated being in a position such as the one he was in now: completely at the mercy of his enemies.

"Don't hurt him," Kelias said.

"That's not the answer I was looking for…"

"Just don't hurt him!" Kelias exclaimed, her eyes looking between Roland and Garrus nervously, "I need him as an assistant. If you hurt him he won't be able to help me as well as he has been already. Without him, it'll take me twice as long to finish the device. So please, I beg you: just leave him be. He hasn't done anything wrong."

Roland frowned. There was another long silence and Garrus looked towards Kelias, their gazes meeting. He saw then the look in her blue eyes, the one that told him that she cared about him. He realized then that Kelias did like his company a lot…perhaps more than he would have wanted her to. He had Shepard on his mind and he did not need anyone else, not even one of his own species.

Roland motioned to the soldiers again and they let Garrus go, allowing the turian to bring his head forwards into his normal position and close his mouth. Garrus breathed a sigh of relief and he knew he would have to thank Kelias for what she had done…at least, he thought he was safe. Roland and his goons were yet to leave…

"Fine. He shall be your assistant." Roland seemed annoyed but did not do much else, nor say much else. In fact, Garrus could tell that the human was too busy thinking. "However, if any of you so much as tries anything..." He paused, trying to find the right word. "If any of you try anything _fancy_, the consequences will be dire." He looked towards Garrus, who was still on his knees. Garrus returned Roland's gaze, frowning slightly.

"You're a lucky turian, dear boy," Roland said, "Don't push that luck or you might suddenly find yourself without a tongue. And then I'll probably cut off some other appendages of yours if you piss me off some more."

Garrus remained silent. If he spoke then chances were Roland would simply hurt him. He watched as the human turned around and started to walk away, the four soldiers with him following him out of the workshop. The last one out closed the door, the sound of it locking quite audible in the sudden silence of the workshop.

Kelias stepped over and helped Garrus up, not that he needed it but he was not about to deny her from helping him. He turned to face her, taking note of that look in her eyes again.

"Thanks," Garrus said, making sure to sound as sincere as he could, "If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be without a tongue..."  
Kelias seemed to shy away slightly. Garrus figured that if she could flush like a human she would be doing it right now.

"Is there something wrong?" Garrus asked. He already knew the answer and he was afraid to admit it: Kelias liked him. He did not want to break her heart, especially because of his feelings for Shepard. Kelias had been practically alone for over a month and the first friendly person she meets after that time is a male turian, one who could be considered handsome by most females.

"It's nothing," Kelias replied. She smiled. "I'd do whatever it took to help you. The last thing I need is for you to get mutilated by that nutcase." By "nutcase" she was obviously referring to Roland. Garrus could only smile as he heard this.

"And I'd do everything in my power to help you," Garrus said. It was true: he always prided himself on the fact that he protected the innocent. Kelias was innocent and he would protect her. He would do whatever it took to protect her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I would." Garrus put a hand to her shoulder. Carefully, he traced the backs of his talons on that hand along the side of her face. It felt right doing this, even when his loyalties were elsewhere.

"Garrus," she said, taking his outstretched hand into her own. Garrus felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach, one he usually got when he was anxious. "I…"

"No," he said, taking his outstretched hand out of hers. He put it to her face, using his fingers to trace down her mandibles. "Don't rush into this sort of thing, Kelias. We barely know each other and my feelings are for someone else."

Kelias frowned. Garrus carefully rubbed her behind the mandibles and he caught the faint sound of her purring at the feeling. He smiled. She did not seem as annoyed as he thought she would be.

"I'm sorry," she said, even as Garrus continued to rub her behind the mandibles, "It's just that…"

"You've been alone for too long," Garrus said. He took his hand away from her face, relieved that he had finally cleared this up with her. He did not wish to hurt her feelings. She had technically talked Roland out of cutting out his tongue, so he owed her for that. He also owed her for giving him a chance of escape. He doubted he could have come up with something as complicated as a particle accelerator cannon, let alone the knowledge of how to build one. "I understand. You've been lonely and you see me and can't help but let your feelings take advantage of you. You're attractive but I can't be disloyal to the woman I already love. Besides, we have to get out of here. Once we're out we can talk more about this kind of thing."

Kelias nodded and Garrus was relieved to see that she understood.

"If you don't mind me asking," Kelias said, "But who is it that you have feelings for?"

Garrus smiled. How could he tell her that he was in love with a human without it sounding like a joke?

"You'll probably laugh at me when I tell you," he said. He was right: she did.


	20. Arguments

****

Chapter XIX: Arguments

It was hard to keep track of time in a place like this, even with a clock that may or may not have been reliable, it was impossible to tell. Garrus Vakarian sat on the dirty mattress that he had been made to sleep on for the last few nights, his fingers aching from all of the engineering work he had done. On a table nearby lay the mostly completed particle accelerator cannon and Kelias was already fiddling with it, making some last minute adjustments to it in preparation for their escape.

Garrus was somewhat anxious about the whole escape plan he had helped to cook up. It involved a great deal of luck and timing. The particle accelerator cannon would not last long with sustained firing and would drain its power cells quickly, thus Garrus would have to find other weapons on his way out. Between the table, mattress and the rest of the room was a makeshift screen that Kelias had convinced the guards to supply her, claiming that with it she could "get dressed without having to worry about the surveillance camera seeing her". How she had managed to convince the guards was beyond Garrus' knowledge since he had been asleep when she had done it. She had also ordered the means to wash herself, receiving a tub full of lukewarm water and some sponges. Garrus had missed out on whatever show that would have offered, having only just woken up. He had delayed in waking up since today was the big day: today was when they would actually try and escape. In previous days they had timed the arrival of the guards and breakfast had already arrived, leaving their best bet to be when lunch came. Looking at the door, Garrus could see that a cobbled together explosive charge was attached to it. Any moron who opened it from the other side would get a nasty surprise.

Garrus yawned, rubbing his eyes and taking note of how bad he smelt. Regardless, he slowly rose to his feet and stepped over to where Kelias was working. She turned around to face him, smiling slightly but otherwise too into what she was doing to really pay him much attention.

"Is that thing ready?" He asked.

Kelias shook her head. On the table a computer terminal had been hooked up to the device, layers and layers of code rushing down the display.

"It won't be for a few hours yet," Kelias replied, "I'm still having trouble calibrating the kinetic barriers."

Garrus simply nodded. The kinetic barriers, otherwise known as "personal shields" would need to be calibrated to his weight and body shape in order to work to their full effectiveness. He felt a pang of annoyance at the delay, unable to wait to start the escape yet at the same time he was worried. He was worried primarily about Kelias, since the plan dictated that she would not need to use a weapon. Garrus believed otherwise but she seemed quite adamant that she would not kill anyone. It was naivety at its best, since she would definitely need to kill someone on their way out of here. Once they were through the workshop door, every one of Roland's goons would be after them as well as Roland Halverson himself. God only knew how he would react to their escape.

Kelias had packed the "time manipulation" device into the silver suitcase sometime earlier. It was still in no working order but she suggested that they take it with them in order to prevent Roland from getting hold of it. Garrus could already see himself walking around with the heavy particle accelerator on his back and a suitcase in one hand with the particle gun itself in the other. It would make a strange sight but he was hoping it would be a dangerous one. That particle accelerator was a weapon he was quite interested in trying out, if only to see what it did. Kelias had said little about it, not at all sure what to expect from it herself. Garrus found this only slightly amusing, especially since she was the one who had designed it. At best guess, the particle accelerator cannon would blast somebody into "nothing". Whatever that implied, it certainly sounded interesting.

He wondered what Roland was thinking now, watching through the surveillance camera in the corner, suspicious as always and straining to work out what they were doing. Soon enough he would send some guards to investigate, perhaps finally bust the little weapon building operation that the two turians had going. Whatever happened, that bomb on the door would go off at the first instant that somebody tampered with it.

"Looking at you, Garrus, I would never have guessed you'd have a thing for humans," Kelias said, turning around to face him. She wiped her hands on a piece of cloth, getting rid of the grease that had gotten stuck on her talons.

"I don't have a thing for humans," Garrus replied, his gaze narrowing, "I have a thing for Shepard."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that," Kelias added, somewhat defensively, "So don't get all annoyed at me…"

"I wasn't…"

"It sounded like you were," Kelias said. Garrus shrugged. She had been teasing him about it ever since he had told her. If he had known this would have happened he would have kept his mouth shut, even if Kelias' teasing was only in harmless fun.

"Look, could we just get this thing finished?" Garrus asked, nodding towards the particle accelerator on the table, "That way we can get out of here sooner. I'm already sick of this place."

There was a pause. Kelias returned to her work, shaking her head as she did so. Garrus could tell that underneath that gentle exterior of hers, she was annoyed. It was probably directed towards him, mainly because she had expected him to be…available. Maybe, if the situation had been different, he could see himself spending some "quality time" with her. However, with Shepard weighing heavily on his mind it would not happen. Not today, anyway.

Garrus walked over to where breakfast had been left on the table, finding that Kelias had eaten most of it while he had been asleep. He sighed and relegated himself to picking up whatever scraps were left and eating those. He glanced towards the camera in the corner of the ceiling, trying in vain to work out what Roland was thinking. He was watching them, he knew it. And hopefully he had no idea about what they were doing. He may have his suspicions but no solid facts to back them up.

For the next hour Kelias spent most of her time fiddling with the computer terminal, doing her best to provide the correct code to get the machine in proper working order. Garrus was left with nothing much else to do so he sat down on the table near where Kelias was working, watching her with a careful gaze.

"How long?" He asked.

"Not too long now," she said, "I just need to download the last of the code into the particle accelerator. Once that's done, we can get out of here."

Garrus breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. The waiting had really started to take its toll and with each passing minute he grew anxious with anticipation. He knew it would be difficult to get out of here, especially since he had barely any idea about the layout of the tunnels. There was no doubt in his mind that they were crawling with Roland's goons. And outside was only desert. Even if they survived getting out of the tunnels, they would have to contend with the desert, hence the reason they had horded some supplies in preparation for this part of the journey.

Kelias typed in a sequence on the terminal and a long green bar appeared on the display, slowly filling up. She turned to Garrus, smiling.

"We're on our way," she said simply. Garrus hefted up the particle accelerator's power pack and put it on his back, almost having to hunch over from the weight of it. He gripped the gun itself in his right hand, needing to prop it with both hands since it was just so damn heavy. All he had to do now was wait for the large green bar to fill and everything, including the kinetic barriers, would be in working order.

"How long's this going to take?" Garrus asked, fiddling with the particle gun. He clicked something and the next thing he knew the entire machine had started to hum and vibrate, the transparent ridges on the back of the black metal pack glowing a bright white blue.

"A few minutes," Kelias said. The green bar on the display had not even filled up a quarter of its length yet. Kelias frowned at this and corrected herself: "Well, maybe longer than that."

"We don't have the time to wait," Garrus said, his impatience growing.

"What do you suggest we do, human lover?" Kelias snapped suddenly.

_Human lover? Well, that's a new one._

Garrus shrugged.

"I suggest we do something other than stand here and wait," Garrus replied, surprised at Kelias' sudden change in mood. She did seem to calm down a little but otherwise she seemed to be acting quite out of her usual character. There must have been something wrong, maybe the anxiety that came before going into a life threatening situation? She did not seem the soldier type, unlike Garrus who had built a career on it. He doubted she had been put into the military at fifteen, especially if her father had been a scientist. She would have followed in his footsteps, even if it meant she did not require going into the military like most other turians would.

"We could talk…"

"Talk?" Garrus frowned. "Talk about what?"

"Shepard."

Garrus rolled his eyes. "Haven't we been over this?"

Kelias shook her head. She seemed annoyed now and not outright angry. Garrus should have guessed that she would have reacted this way when he told her that his loyalties lay with someone else.

"I don't see how a handsome male like you could possibly be into humans," she said. Out in the hallway, Garrus heard footsteps. There were many of them and they were running, as if they were in a hurry. His heart skipped a beat as he stood near the computer terminal, weighed down by an insanely heavy makeshift weapon while an angry female turian had a go at him. Kelias did not seem to hear the footsteps.

"I helped you, here in this place," Kelias continued, "I haven't met anyone like you before. That was part of the reason why I chose to help you, Garrus: I like you. And yet you repay that by telling me you're in love with a human?" She shook her head, incredulous. Garrus was barely listening and instead was looking at the gradually filling loading bar on the terminal, growing annoyed with how slow it was going. It was just reaching a quarter of its full length and for a moment he thought that some higher power was slowing it down on purpose.

"Why don't you love _me_, Garrus?" She demanded, her tone getting hostile.

"We barely know each other," Garrus replied. There were shouts coming from the tunnel outside the workshop and a few slams on the door. He could barely make out what the guards were saying but he could tell that they were pissed off. Roland must have realized what they were doing and sent some people to investigate. The turian's gaze went to the bomb attached to the door. He sighed and returned his gaze to Kelias. She did not seem at all worried by what was happening at the door.

"It's typical of my luck to finally meet a man perfect for me, only to find out he's currently tied up with a _human_, of all things," Kelias continued, "If it was an asari, I wouldn't mind. But a _human_? Somebody would think you were high or something, Garrus…"

"Uh, Kelias…" Garrus' gaze flitted to the computer terminal. The loading bar was barely halfway across. Why the hell was it taking so long?

"Damn it, Garrus," she said. She leaned forwards, put a hand to the back of his neck and pulled his head forwards so that it was level with hers. Their foreheads met and her tongue found its way into his mouth, if only briefly. Kissing was not something turians could do awfully well, especially without lips. Still, she did trace her tongue down one mandible and she playfully nipped him on the side of the neck. Garrus was taken aback by all of this but the moment was cut short when the door into the workshop finally opened and the bomb on the door finally went off.

There was an earth-shattering roar and a column of smoke and flame erupted forth, spilling a short distance into the workshop. The guards beyond the door were tossed aside like ragdolls, their shouts ending almost as abruptly as they had begun. Kelias pulled out of the embrace, leaving Garrus with many conflicting thoughts on his mind. She started towards the blasted open doorway, taking a look into the tunnel beyond and shaking her head. The smoke around the blast area was still quite thick and reeked immensely but she did not seem to have any issues with this.

"What are you doing?" Garrus shouted. He could hear more shouting coming from further down the tunnel. He looked at the computer terminal again, seeing that the loading bar was just over halfway. He returned his gaze to Kelias and watched as she picked up an assault rifle from a fallen guard. Her expression was a look of absolute bravado and it sent some fear into Garrus, to see her reacting this way. She would get herself killed and the last thing he needed was her death on his conscience. He had enough on his mind already.

"I'm going to buy you some time, Garrus," she said, starting down the tunnel. She disappeared from view, leaving the male turian alone in the workshop. The sounds of weapons fire began a few seconds later. Garrus watched the computer terminal, each passing second sending him further into an anxious frenzy. He did not want Kelias to get killed, not after all that he had been through. It occurred to him that he was having a very bad month, as if some higher power had it in for him. Judging from all that was happening, this seemed the most logical assumption.

Finally, after a few more minutes of waiting, the download bar was full. Unhooking the particle accelerator cannon from the computer terminal, Garrus started towards the blasted open doorway. It occurred to him that Kelias was a somewhat troubled woman, especially with all that talk of her loving him. He could never return the favour, not when his loyalties lay with Shepard…but he could stop Kelias from getting herself killed. He stepped into the tunnel, took a deep breath and followed in the female turian's wake. For someone who had trouble killing people, she had left quite a few bodies in her wake. There were still plenty of Roland's goons around, though. Garrus knew he had his work cut out for him. 

* * *

Kaslin Kevkas was wide awake, primarily because of the irritating beeping sound that had broken the comfortable silence of the bedroom. He was dressed only in his undergarments and his wife, Lisik, was in a similar position. She had woken up as well, giving a rather annoyed look at her husband with the intention of blaming him for the disturbance. Kaslin sighed and reached over to the bedside table, finding the communications device. He realized that it was Roland calling in, especially since the device in question had been given to him by that very human. Kaslin wondered briefly about the plan he was thinking of setting in motion, the one in which he would gain the advantage of whatever it was that Roland was trying to do. He would weasel his way through it like the expert conman he was and he would get rid of Roland in the process. Kaslin knew when he could take advantage of a situation and now seemed like one of those times, judging by Roland's angered voice. Never had he heard the human so angry…in fact, he doubted he had ever heard Roland angry at all. To him, Roland always seemed so calm and collected and smug. It was as if he had everything planned but judging by his tone, something had gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Kaslin climbed out of bed and stepped towards the window where the first rays of morning sunlight were filtering inside. His wife, Lisik, watched him carefully with a scrutinizing gaze.

"_Kaslin…Kaslin, damn it, I need your help! Now, dear boy!"_ Roland was shouting whilst sounding quite pissed off. Kaslin gave the turian equivalent of a smile. If there was something going on he knew he would be able to take advantage of it…somehow. It would just require some thought. He was good at that.

"Roland, what's going on?" Kaslin asked. He noticed in the corner of his vision that Lisik seemed to sigh and shake her head, letting her head fall back onto her pillow.

"_Two of my prisoners are escaping! I need all of your available mercs to get their bloody arses over here and help me stop them!"_

That would require some organization. Kaslin decided he would go about it eventually, he just wanted to determine the details about what was happening. He had not even known that Roland had _two_ prisoners: he had known only of the female turian, the one he was making build some sort of device…Roland had left out a lot of the details.

"Why can't your personal goons do that?" Kaslin asked.

"_Goddamnit, you bloody turian, just do as you're told! Give me some mercs now, or I swear I'll come over to your place and burn it all down!"_

Kaslin sighed again. Roland was certainly angry and as such he would be unpredictable. Kaslin decided to help him out, if only to find out more about what was going on. The two prisoners in question, especially the one building something for him…Kaslin could use them.

"You're a lunatic, Roland," Kaslin said with a smirk, "But I'll send some of my troops regardless. They'll probably be there in twenty minutes…"  
_"Twenty minutes too long, you lizard-faced bastard! I need them now!"_ Roland shouted even louder this time, if only to emphasize his point. Kaslin was being reasonable: it would take five minutes to ready some soldiers and another fifteen minutes for their fastest shuttle to take them to Roland's desert hideout.

"_And don't you ever call me a lunatic again, do you understand you bloody turian? You ever insult me…"_

Kaslin used his empty left hand to pull open the window in front of him, providing him with a rather excellent view of the estate grounds. Without much more thought he tossed the communications device out of the open window, watching it land on the pavement some distance across the estate grounds. Roland's shouting voice was still audible through it even from this distance before it hit the pavement and smashed into several pieces. And once again, silence filled the bedroom.

He turned to his wife, who looked up at him with sleepy eyes from the bed.

"Who was that?" She asked.

Kaslin shrugged.

"Some crazy human asshole," he replied. Moments later he was dressed and left the room to prepare the troops. He doubted they would get to Roland's base of operations in time but hell, he may as well try. And the mention of two escaped captives only intrigued the turian some more. He could use these escaped captives…if Roland wanted them back then they were obviously integral to his plan. If Kaslin got hold of them he might be able to find out more about what Roland was doing. Hell, he was already slowly accumulating the knowledge about Roland's plans. It would only be a matter of time before he knew the whole story. Until then, he could work on getting that information faster. 

* * *

Kelias Lalitherax had a lot going through her mind as she picked up the assault rifle from the fallen soldier. For one, she was not entirely sure what she was doing. It frightened her, yet at the same time she was so full of bravado that the fear was only minor. She would do whatever was necessary to escape, even if that meant buying Garrus time in a rather dangerous means.

Kelias had never really killed anybody before. It had always occurred to her that she had helped design weapons that had killed many, many people. Some of the weapons she had helped design were the sort that were popular with mercenary groups and other criminals. There was no doubt in her mind that those people used those weapons to kill. Was she responsible for all of those deaths? For once, maybe she might be able to make a difference here, by killing some of Roland's goons. Garrus would be ready to use the particle accelerator cannon son enough but until the algorithms and such were downloaded into the weapon's systems, he would need time. She was the one to give it to him, despite the fact that it was a whole-heartedly risky venture.

Another thing that was on her mind was about Garrus himself. It annoyed her to think that the first handsome turian male she meets in over a month is one who's feelings are already for someone else…This would usually not have annoyed her, save for the fact that the one Garrus had feelings for was not turian. No, apparently his feelings and loyalties lay with that human Spectre, Shepard. Kelias liked Garrus, despite the fact they had only known each other for a few days. It was probably the loneliness that was making her jump on him at a moment's notice but she could see that he was attracted to her in return. He was just too polite to be disloyal to his human lover. As she thought about this, Kelias' grip tightened on the assault rifle. Garrus was shouting at her from behind, standing back in the workshop as he waited for the downloads to the particle cannon's systems to finish. He did not want her to go and get herself killed, so he did care about her. Kelias smiled at this thought. Kelias was used to getting what she wanted, probably because of her wealthy father spoiling his daughter with anything she wanted during her younger years. If she wanted Garrus, which she did, she would get him. It was only a matter of time.

Kelias had handled weapons on numerous occasions during her work in designing them, so working the assault rifle she had now was no trouble. She found the design of it to be somewhat different to the ones she was familiar with and she was familiar with not only turian weaponry but human, batarian, asari…It came with her line of work, having to be knowledgeable about the many different weapons that each species built. The human-built weapons were all for lethality and efficiency, the turian ones were all for precision and perfection, the asari ones were all for looking fancy when you killed someone while the batarians were always trying to push the envelope when it came to weapons technology. Every species had its own distinct design flairs and Kelias knew them all. The assault rifle she had now, on the other hand, was unlike anything she had ever seen: it was almost made out of an insectoid shell, complete with sharpened ridges and an almost organic looking barrel. A jagged blade was underneath the barrel, making the weapon look even more intimidating.

Kelias took up the rifle anyway and started running down the tunnel. Behind her, Garrus had stopped shouting, having given up on talking her out of what she was doing. Garrus needed time and judging by the footsteps coming down the tunnel, they had no time. Kelias started running forwards, the somewhat bulky and definitely strange looking rifle held at the ready.

She took a deep breath and awaited the inevitable shooting to start. A trio of human guards in silver armour suits, left faceless by their tinted visors and breathing apparatuses, came running into view. The three were armed with assault rifles, two with ordinary ones and the third with one of the more peculiar, shell-like cannons. Kelias gritted her teeth as she pulled the trigger, the weapon buckling in her grip as a steady stream of high-powered rounds shot forth, appearing as orange-yellow tracers in the dimness of the tunnel. Kinetic barriers failed and blood sprayed forth as the three guards were cut down, convulsing and spiralling in a variety of means before they hit the ground.

Exhaling, she stopped to admire her handiwork for a moment. The amount of blood was minimal since the armour suits the guards wore prevented much blood from leaking out. Still, Kelias suddenly felt gravely ill just by looking at the corpses. She started walking, stepping over the bodies in an effort to get away from them as fast as she could. She started to run again, following the winding tunnel some distance, aware of the sounds of footsteps and shouts echoing to her from further up the tunnel.

She kept running, catching a glimpse of a few guards heading towards her further up ahead. She started firing wildly in their direction, not really aiming for them but trying to get them to stay away from the workshop. The guards scattered and started falling back as Kelias charged towards them, cutting another down while the others were already running.

For all the bravado she was feeling, it was abruptly killed when she ran into an open room where about two other tunnels joined. Roland Halverson was here, a grenade launcher gripped in his right hand. He was flanked by about a dozen guards, all of them training their rifles on Kelias. Roland smiled as she came to a stop, tilting his head slightly. Kelias looked around, saw the situation she was in and shook her head. She immediately regretted leaving the workshop, and Garrus, behind her.

"Shit," she said simply.

"Ah, Kelias, dear girl," Roland said, taking a few steps forwards. Before the turian had a chance to react, Roland had grabbed her and had pulled the rifle out of her grip. "Guns are dangerous, you of all people should know that."

He tossed the weapon to one side and pulled her towards him. He held her at arm's length while he pressed the grenade launcher into her lower back to coax her along.

"Do you think I would let you get away so easily?" Roland asked, almost mockingly. Kelias summed up her chances of escape and found that they were practically nil. She suddenly felt fear course through her and gradually start to build up. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as Roland pushed her along, guiding her into an adjoining tunnel.

"You and I are going to wait for Garrus Vakarian," Roland said, "And we're going to try and talk him down from doing what it is he's going to do…unless my men stop him first. Somehow, I doubt they will. For all of the advanced weaponry I get them, they aren't terribly good at their jobs."

Somewhere further down the tunnels behind them, the sounds of weapons fire could be heard. Roland ignored it, his facial features creased with barely contained rage.

"You, I cannot allow to escape," Roland said as they walked, "You are integral to my plan. If Garrus refuses to see reason…" He locked and loaded his grenade launcher. "He'll get a terrible surprise."


	21. Breakout

**Chapter XX: Breakout**

With his heart beating wildly in his chest and the adrenaline surging through him, Garrus Vakarian could no longer bear to wait. The downloads to the weapon's systems were only close to finishing while already he could hear silence in the tunnels outside the workshop. He assumed this meant that Kelias had since been apprehended…or worse, killed. The last thing he needed after everything that had happened was her death on his conscience. He was already a nervous wreck, especially after what had happened on that far away jungle planet. He needed to get out of here with her alive, if only to put his mind at some ease.

The original plan had been to take the suitcase and its contents along with him, as well as the supplies he and Kelias had stored away in preparation for their escape. Because of the current state of affairs, he decided against adding onto his already heavy load. The particle cannon's pack was heavy on his back and certainly something he did not want to carry around with him for any extended period of time. His gaze flitted to the computer display for the umpteenth time and he saw that it was almost finished…

He heard footsteps in the tunnel outside the workshop. He flicked a switch on the cannon and it whirred into life, vibrating against him in a rather titillating manner. The download bar on the display was about nearing completion but until then the weapon would not function properly, nor would the kinetic barrier generators built into it. He would be practically defenceless if anyone walked inside before the downloads were completed.

Garrus waited patiently, his grip tight on the heavy cannon in his arms. He had already began to think of what he would do once he was out of here, starting with finding Shepard and getting back to the rest of the team on the _Normandy_. He had a long story to tell the Commander, this much was certain. Until then, he needed to focus on getting out of here as well as making sure that Kelias was safe. She had bought him some much needed time but even so, that time was beginning to wear thin.

Garrus had no idea what to expect from the particle accelerator cannon. It would be a surprise and already he could begin to feel the weapon heat up in his grip. He wondered if Kelias had compensated for overheating in her designs since if she had not then this cannon would not last very long. Garrus supposed that this was not all too bad since he could always pick up a rifle off of one of Roland's dead goons. Any firearm would give him a chance to escape. He just wondered how many of Roland's goons he would have to get through before he made it to the exit.

Finally the download bar on the computer display filled up to its entirety. Garrus breathed a sigh of relief and unhooked the particle accelerator from the terminal, shifting his gaze to the doorway. The weapon was warm in his grip, whirring quietly and vibrating against him. He could never have expected a perfect weapon from the scraps of materials that they had been given. Then again, he supposed that this particle accelerator was better than nothing. Keeping a neutral gaze, he shifted his view to the blasted open doorway ahead. The footsteps had slowed down considerably as the guards started to cautiously near the entrance into the workshop.

Garrus took a step forwards, already relishing the thought of killing some of Roland's goons. Two appeared in the space of the doorway and so Garrus pulled on the weapon's trigger. A high-pitched whine erupted from the barrel as it spun into action, with only seconds passing before the particle cannon began to fire. A thick stream of blue-white energy lanced forth, tearing into the rock on the wall before the turian swept it across both guards. The energy was enough to shear both men in half, their scorched and charred corpses being spun around almost carelessly by the force of the particle cannon. Garrus raised his eyebrow ridge in controlled surprise but otherwise kept the weapon firing as another guard ran into view, rifle raised. The beam lanced right across the guard's head, causing it to explode into a bloody mess. Blood and bits of brain splattered outwards and stained the rock wall behind.

Garrus released his grip on the particle cannon's trigger as the guard's headless corpse crumpled into a heap on the floor. He took a deep breath, examining the particle cannon closely. What kind of firepower did he have in his hands now? It was definitely unlike anything he had ever seen before. No wonder the projects Kelias worked on were all top secret: if they were building weapons like this and any other intelligent species found out there would be hell to pay. Besides, Garrus could see why the particle accelerator cannon had not entered service: it was simply too impractical, being heavy and power draining at the same time. He doubted he had much more power left but he decided to continue wielding it anyway, if only because it was…fun. Sure, rifles and pistols were all good but something like a particle accelerator cannon…That was an excellent break from the usual. He reminded himself to thank Kelias for the idea of building one earlier, since without her he would probably still be a prisoner. He still technically was a prisoner until he got out of this tunnel network.

Garrus stepped out of the workshop and into the tunnel beyond, looking down both ways. He could hear shouts and distant footfalls as more guards came to investigate. He was ready for them and just to make sure he gripped the particle cannon in a way that would allow him to fire at a split second's notice. A little further down the tunnel he saw a metal door set into the rock wall. Curious, he went to investigate but found the old-fashioned hinged door was locked. Without much hassle he used the particle cannon to burn right through the lock, kicking the door open with one foot once the lock was gone. Behind was some sort of store room, populated by about three armed and armoured guards. All three of them turned to face him, about to raise their weapons. Garrus was quicker on the trigger and swept a lancing blue beam across them, the energy shearing clean through the guards and tossing their dismembered torsos aside carelessly.

With the guards down Garrus stepped into the store room, finding a few rifles, some of which were of designs he had never seen before. He stopped by one bench upon seeing something familiar: it was Colonel Sommers' upgraded and updated revolver, complete with laser sights and an extended barrel. Without much thought Garrus took the weapon and its holster, putting it around his waist. He took the spare ammunition that was on the bench with it, thinking that if all else failed he would be best off to use the revolver as a last resort. The fact that a lot of the weapons that Roland's goons were using were unlike anything he had ever encountered hinted at yet more mysteries to the man and his operations here. Some were of advanced looking designs while some were quite obviously alien in origin, as if some other party was supplying Roland and his forces. It seemed credible that this was the case, especially with all the other things that did not add up when it came to Roland Halverson.

Garrus left the store room just as a pair of guards came running down the tunnel. They raised their rifles and opened fire, the weapons thundering loudly in the confined space of the tunnel. Garrus stepped back in the doorway slightly as rounds hammered against his personal shield, draining it somewhat and with surprising ease. It was as if their weapons were fitted with special ammunition by the way his shield drained almost to nothing. His heart thumping in his chest, Garrus ducked and edged around the side of the store room's doorway, pulling the trigger on the particle cannon. Both guards scattered, ducking behind columns on the wall as the beam of energy sheared across the width of the tunnel, breaking through the rock on the walls. One of the guards had his left arm blown clean off by the beam, sending it flying a short distance while the stiff fingers began to pull on the trigger, sending rifle rounds pounding wildly into the tunnel walls until the weapon overheated. The guard screamed and stumbled into the beam fully, the top half of him exploding into a blue vapour while charred pieces of him scattered around the tunnel. His dismembered legs simply dropped to the floor lifelessly, the area where they once connected to the rest of the guard now nothing but a charred mess of mangled flesh.

The other guard turned around and began to run. Garrus paused in his firing of the particle cannon, stepping from the doorway as he narrowed his gaze at the fleeing guard. Without much thought he simply pulled the trigger again, sweeping the beam across the width of the tunnel. The beam caught the guard across the upper back, sending his mangled corpse stumbling into the tunnel wall. He crumpled into a heap on the floor, quite dead.

Garrus released the trigger on the particle cannon and took a moment to survey his handiwork. He was beginning to gain a liking for the particle accelerator cannon, even if it had the nasty habit of tearing someone apart or making them explode into a blue vapour. He checked the readout on the side of the cannon itself, seeing that it was already down to half power. He figured that it was enough to get him out of here, just as long as he found Kelias on the way. She could very well have made it to the exit by now but he doubted it. Chances are she was either dead or at the mercy of the enemy.

Starting down the tunnel, Garrus walked briskly but kept alert as he went. The tunnel winded around a few corners, giving the indication that he was in an intricate network. Roland must have had quite the operation going if he had had the time to dig out a whole network of tunnels. It was not long before Garrus had come to a large cavern, one that was populated by about a dozen armed guards behind barricades. They had been waiting for him and had set up an ambush appropriately.

Garrus backpedalled behind the nearest column as about a dozen rifles opened fire in his direction. His kinetic barriers flared and died while bullets pounded into the front of the column, blasting chunks of rock away and sending rock dust flying into his face. He coughed when he inhaled some while he tried to gather his bearings. So many guards and so many weapons firing on him at once. These guys would have to do a lot better.

Garrus leaned around the column once his kinetic barriers had recharged to about half of their strength, ignoring the few rounds that pounded into them. He pulled the trigger on the particle cannon, sending the beam of blue-white energy across the front of one of the barricades. The beam came into contact with the head of one of the guard's firing from behind it and the guard's head exploded into a blue vapour, charred pieces of it flying outwards. The other guard with him instinctively ducked but Garrus shifted his aim downwards slightly, the barricade unable to stand up to the punishment as the beam ripped it to pieces. The guard behind it was merely glanced by the particle beam but this was enough to burn a large portion out of him, sending him onto the floor with a wide charred gash across his side, his armour melted and melded with melted flesh.

One of the guards tossed a grenade Garrus' way, the disc latching itself to the front of the column Garrus had crouched behind. The turian backpedalled and dived to one side as the grenade detonated, an earth-shattering roar blasting away the column and sending large chunks of rubble falling from the ceiling. Garrus lay on his side, firing the particle cannon through the dust as a few of the guards stood up to advance. They were sheared into more than one piece, their dismembered bodies being knocked out of the way by the sheer power of the particle beam. He slowly stood up as the other guards began to fall back, finally realizing that they were up against some very heavy duty firepower.

Garrus could not help but give a turian smile as he stepped into the cavern, watching as the several remaining guards began to race down an adjoining tunnel. Some of them fired back at him as they ran but their accuracy was poor since shooting a weapon while running just made it harder to hit anything. Garrus let them run, his attention having shifted to the door on a nearby wall. It was open and what lay behind intrigued him somewhat.

Roland had mentioned a Prothean beacon and it was through this door that it was located. A large, entirely artificially constructed room was beyond the door with numerous indications of Prothean architecture. The walls were much like those in the ruins on Virmire and Ilos, while the beacon itself was at the far end of the room. Computer terminals and other equipment had been set up in an effort to study the beacon but anyone who had been working here had since fled at the beginning of trouble. Garrus stepped up to the beacon, keeping his distance since it was still in perfect working order.

He checked the computers but only one of them was not password protected, hence he sifted through whatever useful information was on this one. He did not find much, save for some notes by Roland that were dated to about nine years ago. Garrus found a discarded omni-tool on a nearby table and used it to download the notes before leaving. However, there was something that stopped him from doing so.

He turned around and saw that the beacon had begun to react to his presence. Garrus knew too well what this meant and took a few steps backwards, deciding that he would not let it scramble his mind. Just to make sure, he brought up the particle accelerator cannon and opened fire. The beam connected with the glowing beacon and a moment later the entire top half of the beacon exploded in a bright flash, sending pieces flying about while one of the computer terminals connected to it overloaded and detonated in a spectacular array of sparks.

Garrus turned around, just as a pair of guards raced into the room. The turian thought little of them as he turned the particle accelerator cannon against them, shearing both men in half as he walked towards the doorway. He walked back into the cavern and after a moment's pause he decided to head down the tunnel he had seen the guards from earlier retreat into. Funnily enough, he suddenly felt quite good about himself. Having enemies actually flee from him had done much to inflate his ego. He supposed it had to do with the particle accelerator cannon, something which made him remember to check the power levels. He frowned when he saw that they were down to about a quarter. Another skirmish and he would be out of power completely. When that happened, he would need to fall back onto something else…the Magnum revolver he had acquired sprang to mind, as did some of the more strange looking rifles that some of the fallen guards had been carrying. It seemed that Roland had been supplying his men with some very advanced weaponry. How and where he had gotten it from remained a mystery, but it was just another of the many mysteries that surrounded Roland Halverson. Garrus vowed that sooner or later he would discover the truth behind that human. He preferred to know his enemies rather than be in constant speculation over them.

The tunnel winded along for some distance. Garrus checked a few of the adjoining rooms but found nothing of particular interest since most of the rooms were barracks or storage. The lack of guards hinted that they were waiting for him somewhere up ahead and he would not be surprised if this was the case. They probably knew by now that they were dealing with a turian armed with some powerful hardware and were probably preparing some sort of ambush. The thought of another ambush simple amused Garrus, since wielding a powerful weapon like the particle accelerator cannon could significantly inflate someone's ego.

He wondered where Kelias was and if she was alright. Garrus kept walking along, stopping to check the adjoining rooms but finding most devoid of life. It was a few minutes later that the tunnel opened into another large cavern, this one connected to a large open tunnel that lead outside. Sunlight streamed into the cavern and upon seeing it Garrus breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time in about five days he saw sunlight and he could not help but feel that he had finally gotten through all that had happened. From some hellhole of a jungle planet to here, it seemed that he would finally get the break he needed. At least, this was what he was thinking until the shooting started.

Bullets pounded into his kinetic barrier and the turian stepped back, his gaze scanning the immediate vicinity quickly and efficiently. There were about half a dozen armed guards scattered throughout the cavern, firing from behind metal containers and boulders. Garrus brought up the particle accelerator cannon and opened fire, his gaze passive as one of the guards was caught in the beam. His head disappeared into a blue explosion of energy, charred pieces flying every which way. Garrus crouched and moved behind a nearby boulder, his ability to move limited by the heavy weight of the particle accelerator cannon's power pack that he wore at his back. Rifle rounds slammed into the front of the boulder, blasting away pieces of rock while some ricocheted. Garrus leaned around the side, taking aim at a pair of guards and turning the particle cannon onto them. The beam blasted away the rocks they were crouched behind, shearing across the front of both guards and slicing them in half.

Garrus turned his attention to the three others up ahead. Behind them was the way out, a large tunnel opening onto some sort of clearing surrounded by rocky outcrops. Already he could feel the heat of the desert against his scales. Turians preferred the heat over the cold so it was a welcome feeling to have such temperatures against him. He shifted his attention back to the guards and swept the particle cannon's beam over them, mowing them down with ease. He kept his face one of neutrality as he stood up and finished off the last of the guards, the particle beams literally slicing his torso down the middle. Within seconds the cavern had fallen silent, with only the smell of charred and smouldering flesh reaching the nostrils. The silence was almost unnerving but Garrus continued anyway…

He was surprised when Roland Halverson stepped out from behind a column against the wall. Garrus would have fired but the sight of Kelias held in front of the human like a shield made him hesitate. Roland had a grenade launcher in his right hand: it was a simple one, with one barrel and capable of only firing one round before needing to be reloaded. Such grenade launchers were extremely portable and lightweight, hence why Roland had no trouble using just his right hand to pull its trigger while his left held Kelias at the neck.

A wave of heat and a shower of rubble hit Garrus in the back as the grenade slammed into the wall just to his right. The concussive force of the blast threw him onto the ground, leaving him momentarily dazed. He watched as Roland took a few steps forwards, an enraged look on his usually calm and collected features. Kelias was held tightly in his grip, trying to break free but unable to.

"You fail to see the full picture, Garrus," Roland said, his voice taking on an almost maniacal edge, "You have no idea what you have gotten involved with! I had everything planned! Every last detail, every variable accounted for! Except for _you_…" Roland spat the last word out with some distaste. "You were unexpected…I should have left you to die on that jungle planet but instead I thought I could use you, perhaps convince you of the cause I was fighting for. Instead, it is you who filled Kelias' head up with ideas of escape. It is _you_ who has almost ruined everything!"

Garrus was barely listening, aware of a faint hissing sound coming from behind him. A quick glance revealed that the particle accelerator cannon's power pack had sprung a leak, blue-white gas billowing forth from a hole that had been torn into the black metal.

"I can still salvage this situation…yes…yes I can…" Roland glanced around, as if he was talking to himself. He returned his gaze to Garrus who had begun to carefully remove himself from the straps that were keeping the power pack on his back. The vague outline of a plan began to form in the turian's mind as he did this.

"You will not pursue me, Garrus," Roland said, delivering it like an order, "You will let me leave with Kelias. I will let you live if you leave me alone, otherwise I can simply cook you on the spot right now." He sounded serious about the last part, despite the fact that it had left Garrus a little confused. He remembered the way Roland seemed capable of lighting cigars with no visible means…as if he was _thinking_ them into lighting up. It was an absurd notion that Garrus had come up with, but it would explain a few things about Roland.

"Damn it Garrus, do something!" Kelias shouted, struggling against Roland's almost iron grip. Roland tightened his grip on her accordingly, his left arm pressing against her throat. She became short of breath but not so much that it would kill her. It was obvious that Roland required her to be alive for whatever he was planning.

"Do you understand, Garrus?" Roland asked, "You leave me alone and I will leave you alone. I think it's a fair arrangement, don't you agree old boy?"

Garrus shrugged off the power pack, letting it clank onto the rocky ground behind him. He slowly rose to his feet, holding the power pack while the particle gun hung loosely from it. Roland watched him carefully while Garrus calculated the distance between them: it was several metres. Garrus wondered if what he was planning would actually work. He doubted it would but it was worth a try.

"I am going to leave," Roland said, taking a few steps back, "You follow me and I will kill you. All I have to do is think about it and you will die a horrible death. I take it you don't want that to happen, old boy? Of course, knowing you, you won't just let me walk away. I am telling you now, Garrus, that it would be in your best interests if you let me go…"

Garrus could tell that Roland was stalling for time. The human was in a vulnerable position and not thinking as clearly as he could have been, made evident by the fact that he was now pointing an empty grenade launcher towards Garrus in a threatening manner. Kelias seemed to have given up trying to struggle but the look in her eyes told Garrus that she wanted him to do something to free her. He returned her gaze accordingly and hefted the leaking power pack in his left hand, pondering what he would do with it. He knew he would have to be fast, perhaps impossibly so. If Roland really did want to kill him he would have done it by now, hinting that Garrus somehow fit into all of this.

"If we ever cross paths again, dear boy," Roland said, "I will kill you. And I will kill your friends and your family. I will kill all those who are dearest to you. You see, I've a habit of being thorough…"

"Roland," Garrus said, frowning slightly.

"Yes?"

"Shut the hell up."

Garrus threw the power pack to Roland's left, distracting the human momentarily. Kelias seemed to take the hint and began to struggle against Roland's grip once more. Garrus hoped that what he was about to do would succeed. Within the space of time it took for the power pack to make a landing, Garrus had pulled the Magnum revolver from the holster at his waist. He took a brief and awkward moment to fit his taloned fingers through the trigger guard before he brought the weapon solidly in his grip. The laser sight was flicked on and the beam fell onto the power pack as it landed. Garrus pulled the trigger and the revolver buckled sharply in his grip, the gunshot echoing loudly throughout the space of the cavern. Roland caught wind of what was about to happen at the last moment and returned his gaze to Garrus. Before he could do anything the bullet connected with the power pack.

A blue-white explosion of raw energy plumed forth, shaking the ground beneath their feet and sending Garrus flying backwards a short distance. Roland shouted and Kelias screamed as they were both tossed aside, the female turian landing on the ground with her hands to her face. Roland seemed dazed for a moment and was about to look up when the ceiling above fell in, burying him under a pile of rubble. Kelias remained only half buried but her screams were enough to bring Garrus out of his confused state.

He stood up and rushed over to her, his heart almost stopping cold when he saw what had happened to her. He clenched his fists and cursed his callous actions…in his effort to get Roland he had hurt her. He pushed the rubble off of her legs and dragged her away from the pile of fallen rocks, managing one last look at them in order to convince himself that Roland Halverson was dead.

He rolled Kelias onto her back and knelt by her, taking a deep breath when he saw her face. A blue-white jelly-like substance had splattered onto the right side of her face and burnt ferociously, the stench of burning exoskeleton reaching Garrus' nostrils. The substance had been blasted out of the power pack and a quick look around revealed that it had sprayed all over the cavern walls. It burned fiercely and seemed to be dissipating gradually. Kelias was squirming about where she lay, screaming as it disfigured her.

He had done this, Garrus knew this much. To think that he had disfigured a perfectly attractive female…he had no idea what to do about it. He could only watch and wait for the substance to burn itself out, something that took many minutes. Kelias passed out about halfway through the ordeal.

Garrus helped her up once she had regained consciousness. She was in a daze for several minutes while Garrus did his best to avoid looking at her face. He took them both outside and set her down behind a boulder in the shade. Garrus walked out into the clearing and found that the few guards who had been outside had ended up inside at one point, thus allowing them to get killed. While Kelias was out of sight Garrus spent a few minutes taking out his anger on the piles of metal crates that were lying around, tipping them over and yelling to the heavens. His rage was cut short by the arrival of a shuttlecraft and Garrus was quick to collect Kelias from where he had left her, taking her away from the clearing. For miles in every direction was desert but this did not deter Garrus from starting on a long walk with Kelias in tow. She remained in a mostly dazed state, barely aware of the mutilation her facial features had endured.

It was some time before Garrus found evidence of civilization: there was a sign, partially buried in the sand near a ridge that overlooked an old township. The town itself was deserted but the empty shells of buildings would provide shelter from the desert. The sign read: 'THIS SITE FOUNDED BY CAPTAIN TIMOTHY HANLEY OF THE SSV _NAVAJO_, 2169. AS PART OF A JOINT COLONIZATION EFFORT, BOTH THE HUMAN SYSTEMS ALLIANCE AND THE TURIAN EMPIRE HAVE AGREED TO COLONIZE THE MINERAL RICH PLANET OF HALLIAN. THIS PARTICULAR SITE WILL BE KNOWN FROM HERE ON AS "HANLEY'S STAND"…'

The rest of the writing had since worn away but Garrus figured that most of it was patriotic Alliance mumbo-jumbo. At least he knew where he was: Hallian, a world on the border between human controlled space and turian controlled space. It was the site of a failed colonization effort between the two species. As far as he knew, most of the settlements on this planet had been abandoned. The mining operations had fallen short of funding apparently, especially since the amount of valuable minerals had been "grossly overestimated". With no mining economy, the colony had fallen apart…save for the main settlement which had prospered since the planet's apparent abandonment.

With Kelias in tow, Garrus started towards the abandoned township of Hanley's Stand. He finally had some time to think to himself about what had just happened, as well as feel guilt over what he had accidentally done to Kelias. He was not looking forward to what she would do when she finally regained her senses and looked in a mirror. He doubted that she would be very happy.


	22. A Long Day

**Part III: The Truth about Roland Halverson  
**_  
I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom  
__I kill conversation when I walk into a room  
__I'm a three line whip; I'm the sort of thing they ban  
__I'm a walking disaster, I'm a demolition man  
_-From the song "Demolition Man" by The Police 

* * *

**Chapter XXI: A Long Day**

It was sometime after midday on the planet Hallian, indicated by the position of the sun as it gradually crossed the sky. There were barely any clouds, allowing the heat to beat down completely unimpeded and heat the desert landscape up considerably. The abandoned township once known as "Hanley's Stand" was a prime example of deserted real estate, with buildings reduced to empty shells over the decades, run down and boarded up. Whatever items of value that might have once been inside the houses and shopfronts had since been taken, leaving only the bare necessities like cheap furniture lying around and even some of that had been stolen.

Garrus Vakarian felt exhausted, having fought his way out of an intricate tunnel network against hordes of armed soldiers. He had helped a dazed Kelias along, despite the fact that he was feeling quite guilty. Why? Because he was more or less responsible for the fact that Kelias was now facially disfigured. It had been something he had not thought would happen but then again he had never really known what to expect when the particle cannon's power pack exploded. He could rest easy knowing that Roland Halverson was dead: that lunatic was buried under what must have been at least half a tonne of rubble. He would not be bothering anyone anymore.

There was one fairly large house in the abandoned township that Garrus decided to use as shelter from the desert heat. The front door was boarded up but it did not take much to simply rip the boards from the door and kick the flimsy door off of its hinges. Behind was a dank and litter-strewn entrance hall, all its surfaces dusty and the air musty. Light streamed in through where windows had once been while a few desert critters scuttled into hiding at the arrival of the two turians. Garrus stepped inside, supporting Kelias as they walked into the dank interior. He helped her up a flight of stairs and found what was obviously the main bedroom, the bed itself a rather dusty and smelly affair while the rest of the room had been stripped bare. There was one set of drawers left behind but all of the drawers had been opened, whatever had been inside having been taken. The window nearby had been blocked up with several flimsy wooden boards, allowing only small streaks of sunlight to filter their way inside. Garrus set Kelias down on the bed, the impact of her weight on the mattress kicking up a thick plume of dust. Garrus coughed as he inhaled some, taking a step back as he set back into the hallway.

Never had he felt so much guilt in his life…at least, he had not felt this guilty for a long time. He was responsible for the way Kelias looked now, one side of her face burnt and mutilated, the eye there having been burnt beyond recognition. She was still in a rather dazed state but once she came to…well, Garrus did not like to think about how she would react to what had happened to her. He knew he needed to do something about it, hence why he made his way to the bathroom down the hall. The tap inside took a few turns to get working and the water was an icky brown colour but even so Garrus used it to soak a piece of cloth which he then brought back to the bedroom. He used it to clean the burns on Kelias' face, taking note of the way her clothing was burnt in places, especially at her right shoulder. He pushed the burnt articles of clothing away, discovering more burns on the skin at her shoulder and a little further below it. Garrus sighed, trying to work out just what had compelled him to do what he had did and put Kelias into this state. It was his fault she was like this, there was no denying it.

In his determination to kill Roland, Garrus had harmed Kelias. It seemed almost fitting that something like that would happen. Again, he was thinking that maybe there was some higher power that had it in for him. Too much had happened in the last few weeks that could be attributed to mere coincidence. He mulled this over as he soaked Kelias' wounds, trying his best to clean them up. Even so, she would be scarred for the rest of her life.

While she remained unconscious, Garrus flicked on his omni-tool and rifled through the information he had acquired from the terminal back at Roland's underground hideout. There was not much to go on unsurprisingly: it was as if any explanation concerning Roland Halverson had been erased from all records permanently. Nothing was around to explain the mysteries behind that man. One particular item Garrus had recovered from the computer and now had on the omni-tool was an audio clip or two, one of which he played now. They dated back to a decade ago. Playing one, Roland's familiar voice broke the relative silence of the bedroom:

"_I think I may have unlocked the secret to passing through the Omega-4 relay. I know I have, the voices in my mind tell me so. Once the specific items are installed upon my vessel, I shall meet with those I have seen in my visions. I shall learn about the many mysteries of the galaxy and discover the truth behind things that baffle even the brightest minds of today. When I return, I shall begin in my quest to be the galaxy's salvation…"_

Garrus stopped it there, primarily because he was not at all interested to hear anymore of Roland's crazed ramblings. Somehow Roland had made a trip through the Omega-4 relay and returned, albeit…changed. Whatever he had found beyond that relay had sent him back as a mere pawn in a much grander scheme. Garrus could tell that Roland did not know that he was being controlled and thought he was working for the benefit of the galaxy. Garrus believed otherwise.

Switching off the omni-tool, Garrus glanced over at Kelias. She was still unconscious, her breaths deep and heavy. Every time he looked at her he felt an immense wave of guilt wash over him. It was _his_ fault she was looking like the way she did now, blind in one eye and disfigured. No amount of reconstructive surgery would be able to fix what had happened to her.

Garrus started mulling over what he would do next. With Roland dead it seemed that whatever the crazed human was planning would not see fruition. That was probably for the best, but even so Garrus would never find out just what he had been planning. It would remain a mystery, as would everything else about that human. Garrus was not entirely sure where he was exactly, save for the fact that he was on the planet Hallian which was located on the border between Alliance space and Turian Empire space. There had to be a populated town somewhere, it would just require some searching. Garrus had no means of communication anywhere, so trying to contact a populated settlement was impossible. For all intents and purposes, he was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no means of contacting actual civilization. He had come this far only to end up stranded in a desert. It angered him to think that he had gone through all that he had to come to an end like this. There had to be a way to get in touch with civilization somewhere, he could even use a map to find his way to any other settlements. However, a brief look around at his surroundings told him that he would not be finding anything useful anywhere here. The whole town had been stripped of useful items, leaving it a desolate heap in the middle of the wind-blasted desert. It occurred to Garrus that maybe he should have thought better about the escape from Roland's hideout.

At that moment Kelias woke up, her one good eye flitting towards Garrus. He turned around and tried his best to keep an optimistic gaze, wondering if Kelias was aware of what had happened to her. Judging from her confused look, she did not seem to be totally aware. She slowly sat up, taking a look at her right arm and taking note of the few burns that were there.

"Garrus," she said, "What happened?"

"Uh…" Garrus swallowed. How was he going to put it? There was a dusty mirror on the nightstand which he picked up and handed to her. "You should take a look for yourself, I guess."

Kelias took the mirror with a look of uncertainty. She brushed the dust off of its reflecting side and gazed at her reflection for a moment. A look of surprise, followed by anger and then finally neutrality played across her scarred features. She put a hand to the scarred half of her face, carefully touching the no longer functioning eye there. She put the mirror to the side and was silent, thinking over what she had just seen. Garrus had been expecting her to get angry and was surprised at her calm and collected reaction.

"I managed to kill Roland," Garrus said, "But you sort of got caught in the blast…I'm sorry." He added the last part quickly, unsure of how he should deliver his apology. Kelias looked at him, the turian equivalent of a frown etching its way across her features.

"I remember it," Kelias replied, "Roland had me at gunpoint and you set the particle cannon off next to him. Your determination to get the bad guy ended up hurting me. I can guess at what you're feeling…"

"I'm feeling guilty, if that's what you're wondering," Garrus replied, sighing, "I've never felt so guilty in my entire life. Damn it Kelias, I don't know why you're taking it so well!" He had begun to raise his voice, soliciting a raised eyebrow ridge from the female. "I'm a nervous wreck and you're…you're…I don't know what you are, you just seem to be taking it _too_ well. Why aren't you angry at me? I fucking disfigured you! You'll be like that for the rest of your life!"

Garrus stood up, his mandibles flaring in an unfamiliar feeling of agitation. Kelias remained sitting up on the bed, watching him pace around the bedroom and fidget anxiously.

"I've been through so much hell lately," Garrus said as he paced the room, "Unlike you, I'm beginning to lose my mind. If I was in your position I would be going crazy. I don't know how you can take it so well, especially towards me! I did it to you! I scarred you for life! And you seem completely nonplussed…" Garrus groaned and stopped pacing, shifting his gaze back to Kelias. "Honestly, I can't understand why you're not angry at me. I would understand if you wanted to kill me or beat me up or something since it would probably make you feel better. Trust me: I've done that sort of thing before. Someone pisses me off, usually I just beat the crap out of them. I did that when I was with C-Sec and when I was with Commander Shepard…"

Kelias was silent, putting a hand to her facial scars and feeling across them carefully. Garrus would have preferred her to be angry with him but to see her so calm…It annoyed him. How could she be so calm? If Garrus had been in her position he would be enraged, he would be smashing the place up if only to let out his anger. Even now he stepped over to the nightstand and toppled it over, letting it crash loudly onto the floor. Kelias frowned with concern, watching as Garrus sat down upon the toppled nightstand and fell silent. He looked to be deep in his own thoughts, mulling over all that had happened to him in the last few weeks. It was so much yet it did not seem to be over: they still had to find their way to the nearest populated settlement, wherever that was. Anything could happen on the way there and Garrus was not about to become complacent after Roland's death.

"You're stressed, Garrus," Kelias said, standing up and stepping towards him. Her burns still ached but not as much as they had when she had first acquired them. Garrus looked up as she approached, burying his face in his hands.

"You think so?" He said. He paused for a moment, thinking about what he should say. Kelias was quite calm for someone who had just been facially disfigured. Garrus wondered if he would feel the same if that sort of thing ever happened to him. He supposed that only time would tell.

"I've been stressed for most of my life," Garrus replied, looking up at her. "When I met Shepard I found, for the first time in my life, that I actually belonged to something. Helping her clean up the galaxy of the scum that inhabits it…It was better than C-Sec. It was better than the military. C-Sec and the military are full of rules and regulations, put in place to control those who work for those organizations. They're put in place to keep the system fair towards those who break the law. I've always thought that criminals don't deserve to be treated fairly. They deserve to be punished in the harshest possible manner depending on their crimes. With Shepard, I could dish out the harshest punishments to those who needed it. I was making a difference in the galaxy for once. I was killing those who deserved to be killed, who deserved to be punished. I even helped save the galaxy. If that's not making a difference, I don't know what is."

He paused for a moment, seeing that Kelias was listening intently to him. She seemed to be quite a good listener and Garrus felt somewhat at ease in her presence.

"And for once I found the right woman for me," Garrus said. He laughed at the thought, remembering what had happened between him and Shepard. It seemed so long ago when in fact it was less than a month in standard galactic time. "She may have been human, but I don't care. It never occurred to me that I would ever fall in love with a human but hell…Life's full of surprises. And soon after I admit my feelings for her, I get sent straight into my own personal hell and end up here, with you. You, being here with me, is the only glimmer of hope I can see. We're both stranded out in the desert and chances are we'll be stuck here. We could very well die out here…"

Kelias shook her head. She leaned forwards and put a gentle hand to Garrus' face, rubbing against the back of his mandibles with her fingers. Their eyes met and for once, Garrus forgot about the hardships he had been through. He did not see the scars on Kelias' face: instead, he saw the kind-hearted woman behind them. Impulsively, Garrus started to purr.

"We're not going to die out here," she said, "And besides, it looks to me that you need to relieve some of your stress."

"Oh yeah? Stress relief?" Garrus frowned. The way she was looking at him…there was something he could see in her one good eye, a glint of something he had not noticed before. Immediately he began to think of Shepard again, his purring ceasing as he did so.

Kelias took her hand from his face and seemed to frown. Garrus looked at her, noticing that despite the disfigured half of her face, she had not really changed. How she could be calm and collected especially towards the one who had caused her scarring was unknown to Garrus but he was grateful for it. He already had enough on his mind and a distraught attractive young female was not something he needed to add to the guilt. Even so, just looking at her made him feel guilty. _He_ had harmed her and yet she was so forgiving…he wondered if he would have been the same if he was in her position. He doubted it.

There was a long silence between the two of them. Garrus stood up and started pacing again, unable to shake the guilt that was wracking his mind. It infuriated him that Kelias was so nonchalant about it: he had disfigured her and he would not be able to live it down. She should be angry at him and yet she was not, instead acting as if it had never happened. She was certainly strong, both emotionally and physically.

"How can you be so…so…" Garrus stopped and he turned around, placing his gaze towards Kelias. It took him a moment to find the appropriate word. "How can you be so casual about it, as if it happens every day?"

"Because looks aren't everything," Kelias said, taking a step forwards.

"I've ruined your chances of ever getting married," Garrus said. He sighed. "Don't you hate me for that?"

"I don't hate you Garrus."

"But men will find you unattractive…"

Kelias seemed to smile as Garrus said this. Garrus found this rather confusing and simply gave the female an odd look. How could she be smiling? Their situation was practically hopeless. They were stuck in an abandoned town in the middle of a desert…chances are they would die out here. With that thought in mind he felt strangely drawn to Kelias, as if she was emanating some sort of aura that drew him towards her…

"Do you find me attractive, Garrus?" She asked. She delivered the question quite abruptly.

"Uh…" Garrus stumbled on his words. Why was she asking him? He had told her about Shepard, about how he felt about her. Did she really think…?

"Tell me, Garrus. I want to know, from you. If you really think we're going to die out here, we may as well be honest with each other. Do you find me attractive?" Kelias said all this in a level tone. It struck Garrus that she made a good point about them dying out here and thus having reason to be honest to each other. What did they have to lose? Garrus was not about to give up, he just knew that getting in touch with actual civilization again would be difficult. Until they actually set out across the desert, they may as well make good their chance at taking a rest. If anything, Garrus was tired both mentally and physically. He remembered all too well what had happened during his escape from the underground tunnel network. He had slaughtered perhaps two dozen guards to get out and had seriously harmed Kelias in the process. Roland was dead, so he could at least rest with that fact.

He put a hand to her face, gently tracing along the burns. They still hurt her and she winced somewhat so he moved his fingers away from them, tracing his talons along the unaffected side of her face. His fingers went down to her mandibles and he rubbed behind them and a faint purr began to escape her throat. He liked the sound, it was gentle and rolling and continuous. It suited her.

"You're beautiful," Garrus said, his gaze meeting hers.

She stepped forwards, a hand going to the collar of Garrus' jacket. Her fingers deftly worked the zipper, sliding it down her chest before it was completely open. Garrus did not stop her despite the conflicting thoughts that ravaged his mind. He ignored them, watching Kelias carefully as she slid the jacket off of his well-toned muscular frame. Her hands went to the sides of his chest and she felt along the scales there in a gentle but desirable manner.

She embraced him at that moment and Garrus finally gave in to her. He swept his arms around her and a deep, guttural growl escaped his throat. The conflicting thoughts on his mind faded as he leaned forwards, gently biting her on the shoulder. His hands went into her vest and pulled it off of her slender frame, tossing it aside carelessly. He quite literally tore the shirt she wore underneath off while her fingers fiddled with the buckle on his pants. His need for her was simply too much, his heart was racing, his gaze set on freeing her of what little clothing she wore. His pants clung around the evidence of his need for her and he growled in frustration as she seemed to be fumbling with his trousers. Finally she undid the buckle and let them drop to the floor and Garrus had little difficulty removing his footwear. His claws clacked against the wooden floor and scratched it but he did not care. The state of the floor was the least of his worries.

He licked down her neck, tasting her. She brought him closer so her slenderer frame pressed against his own muscular one, nipping him lightly on the neck in typical turian fashion. Garrus' right hand went to her thigh and he lifted her up with ease, grunting as he moved her to the bed. He set her down upon it gently, kicking up some dust because of her weight. He grabbed at her pants and pulled them down with ease, feeling across her thighs with both hands and marvelling at the way her scales sparkled blue in the light that filtered between the boards on the nearby window. He leaned forwards and nipped her on the neck. She was much different to Shepard: where Shepard's body would react to the slightest touch, Garrus knew he would have to try a bit harder with Kelias. A turian female was quite tough when compared to a human. Their thighs were practically like scaly fortresses, baring all that was absolutely necessary for mating. Garrus moved forwards, hesitating only momentarily. She whispered to him to keep going as he explored her petite body with both his hands. Her scales were so smooth and the ugly burns on her face were practically unnoticeable, especially when he had the rest of her body to explore.

He could not wait any longer. Kelias gasped as he entered her quite suddenly. Garrus emitted a predatory growl as he put his arms around her, feeling her arch against him. His mind was on nothing but her as she moved beneath him, matching him for each thrust. Her grip at his back tightened and her claws dug into him sharply, causing Garrus to emit another growl. He cared little for the damage she was causing him: it was all part of the experience anyway. He put his mouth to her shoulder, biting into it instinctively as he managed the last few and most exhausting of his movements. She shouted his name as he spilled into her. Garrus grunted with the effort and fell into a heap against her, his breathing shallow and the exhaustion he felt finally getting the better of him.

A protesting grunt from her made him shift himself off of her, falling into the bed beside her. He felt her snuggle up against him, her head on his chest and the heat of his body against his own. Once again, Garrus Vakarian felt quite guilty. Either that or Kelias was one manipulative female. She had wanted this…she had wanted _him_ all along. Garrus smiled at the thought, realizing that he was still popular to the ladies. If he ever did see Shepard again, how would he explain this to her?

It was not long before Kelias' movements became indicative that she wanted more. Garrus did not hesitate this time, even if his mind had begun to wander to thoughts of Shepard and not Kelias. 

* * *

There was a pile of rubble just past the entrance of the cavern network. Kaslin Kevkas, outfitted in his normal grey and black armour with his customized pistol in a holster at his waist, surveyed the devastation with a careful gaze. Sarah Turner and Taklas the krogan were with him, as were several other mercenaries with the Dark Talons. It was obvious a massive shootout had occurred here and Roland Halverson was nowhere in sight. Kaslin smiled at the implications of this: If Roland was dead then that would mean that one hell of a load would be off of Kaslin's mind.

Sarah stopped by the pile of rubble, surveying the massive blast crater near it. Something had exploded to cause a cave in and whatever it was had been quite volatile. Kaslin had already sent mercenaries into the tunnels to investigate and so far they had found a whole lot of burnt mutilated bodies and no survivors. Roland was dead, there was no doubt about that. Kaslin sighed, having absolutely no concern for the fact that he and his squad had obviously arrived here a bit too late. He was curious about the two prisoners who had apparently escaped and caused all of the carnage and he knew he would have to check the computers within the underground hideout for information about them.

Sarah Turner used the barrel of her rifle to prod at the pile of rubble, pushing aside a few sizeable chunks. She frowned, as if she had noticed something curious. Kaslin stepped towards the pile, only vaguely interested in it. He did, however, notice a few traces of blood on the ground.

It was dark blue blood, definitely from a turian. This only helped to arouse his curiosity: was one of Roland's escaped captives turian? What interest would that human have had in a turian? Kaslin could only speculate as to who the captives had been and why Roland had been keeping them as his prisoners.

Sarah brought his attention away from the blood and to the rubble pile.

"Hey, boss, take a look at this," she said. She used the barrel of her gun to point at something that had been revealed amongst the rubble. Kaslin took a step closer for a better look and managed a somewhat surprised frown: There, sticking out from a gap in the rubble, was a human hand. It was dirtied and unmoving. Kaslin saw the sleeve beneath and recognized it as being part of Roland's usual outfit. At the sight of this proof that Roland was dead, the turian smiled.

"Looks like Mr. Halverson finally got bettered by someone," Kaslin said, "He was obviously not as invincible as he believed himself to be." Kaslin was about to add something more to that statement concerning his opinion of Roland when the fingers on the hand moved. Sarah raised her gun but had little opportunity to use it. Kaslin, Sarah, Taklas and a few of the other nearby mercenaries watched as the rubble pile began to move, chunks falling away as Roland Halverson rose to his feet. His outfit was ruined, caked with dirt and dust while his face was scrunched up into a very agitated gaze. He seemed to have no trouble pushing away the rubble, despite the fact that there must have been hundreds of kilograms worth of it. How anyone, let alone a human, could have survived that…Kaslin was left speechless at the sight. The even stranger thing was that Roland had no cuts or bruises on him. He was completely unharmed.

Roland turned around and his gaze went to Kaslin. The turian did his best to keep himself composed but found this difficult, especially since Roland should be dead but was not. The only question in Kaslin's mind at the moment was how Roland had survived. It was impossible…

"You took your time, old boy," Roland said, stepping out of the rubble. He brushed his vest down before brushing some of the dirt off of his sleeves. He seemed only slightly annoyed by what had happened to him, as if getting buried under half a tonne of rubble did not bother him too much.

"I…uh…told you I would be late," Kaslin replied, trying to compose himself.

"It doesn't matter," Roland said simply, brushing aside Kaslin's words as if they meant nothing. They probably did mean nothing to him, a fact that left Kaslin somewhat annoyed.

"There are two turians on the loose, Kaslin," Roland explained, "One is called Garrus Vakarian, the other is Kelias Lalitherax. I want Kelias alive since she is important to my plans. The other one you can kill."

"Uh…right…" Kaslin did not know what to say. Here he was, faced with a man who should be dead who was instead giving him orders. For once in his life, Kaslin's almost unbreakable resolve had been fractured.

"To think…I had everything planned, every variable accounted for and then…then…" Roland was talking to himself now, his tone growing in anger as he continued to speak. "Then that turian…_Garrus_…comes along. He was an unwanted variable, one that upset the balance of the equation. I should have killed him, regardless of the consequences. He's caused far too much trouble than his worth." Roland shifted his gaze back towards Kaslin. "Make sure, that when you find Garrus Vakarian, that you kill him outright."

"Whatever you say," Kaslin said absently. If anyone could piss off Roland like this then they deserved some recognition. Kaslin suddenly quite wanted to get in touch with this Garrus Vakarian turian, if only to satisfy his own curiosity.

Roland started into an adjoining tunnel. Kaslin exchanged confused glances with Sarah before he followed Roland, trailing behind him by a few paces. They came to some sort of workshop, one that had had its door blown clean off its hinges. Inside were numerous scraps and parts, as well as power tools and so forth. Roland went straight to the silver metal suitcase on one of the benches, opening it and taking a look inside.

"Hmm…she's finished most of it," Roland said, more to himself than to anyone in particular. Kaslin could see that whatever was in the suitcase was important to Roland and this was a fact that made that vague plan of his take further shape.

"Kaslin, dear boy, I'm sure you'd be fascinated by this," Roland said, closing the suitcase and picking it up with his left hand. "It's quite useful: time manipulation, paradoxes, that sort of thing…"

"Uh…what?"

"Never mind," Roland said. He paused for a moment while Kaslin started thinking about getting the suitcase somehow. "I'll tell you about it once you've delivered Kelias to me. She and her new friend could not have gone far, so I suggest you start searching the desert and any of the nearby settlements."

Kaslin swallowed. Roland was just giving him orders, as if Kaslin was his own personnel henchman. Kaslin had prided himself on the fact that _he_ himself was boss and no one was in charge of him. To have some weird and crazy human telling him what to do hurt his ego somewhat…and made him think more about getting rid of him. However, the thought crossed his mind that if half a tonne of rubble had not killed Roland than nothing could. Such a thought was insane but Kaslin could not help but think of it. Maybe Roland was no ordinary man. This much was obvious, but maybe he was not as human as he looked…

"Quit standing there like a stunned mullet and get on with what you're supposed to be doing," Roland snapped suddenly, bringing Kaslin out of his reverie.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," Kaslin said. However, the plans he was formulating in his mind were quite different to what Roland Halverson wanted.


	23. Defender

**Chapter XXII: Defender**

How long had it been? A few hours, at least. The sky outside had gone to a purple dusk colour and the sun was low, casting lengthy shadows over the small abandoned desert town. The air outside had cooled somewhat and the inside of the dusty old bedroom had grown even cooler as a result. Garrus Vakarian, mostly because of his guilt, was wide awake. He was thinking carefully over all that had happened recently and then to his current situation and how he would get through it. He was stuck in the middle of a desert, no food and very little water available. Usually he would go out of his way to rectify the situation but he had not yet, instead spending some time with young female who was asleep with her head on his chest and arm splayed out across the width of his muscular frame. She seemed to move restlessly in her sleep, purring quietly as she rubbed her face against his chest. Garrus looked down at her, more guilt rising through him when he saw her scarred features. He had done that to her, accidentally of course but it still hurt just to see her like that. Maybe his feeling sorry for her was part of the reason why he had done with her what they had just done. His mind might have focussed mainly on Shepard but when he was faced with advances from a female of his own species…it was hard to resist and this was the truth. Kelias had needed support and if that support had meant sex, well…Garrus could live with that. He smiled, tightening the hold he had around her. It had been a while since he had last been with a turian female like this and it was a welcome feeling to find that women of his own race still found him attractive. He had always been awkward around women, especially Shepard. For all the proficiency he showed on the battlefield, women was the one thing he had trouble with. He could snipe a mercenary's head off at three hundred yards, he could make an enemy's weapon explode in their hands but women…that was a whole new thing altogether. Dealing with women required practice he did not have. He could remember his days in C-Sec and how he had gotten to know some of his female co-workers a bit better, how none of those relationships had actually lasted very long. He remembered nights spent at the many clubs of the Citadel, watching scantily clad asari dancers and encountering single young turian females who might or might not be drunk enough to have sex with him. He never said no to an attractive young female but he never said yes either…he just let them take him along to wherever they wanted to do it, whether that be an apartment in the Wards or the toilet block in the night club. He was not ashamed to admit some of the things he had done but he was not too proud of them either. With Shepard he finally found that he belonged to something (the _Normandy_ crew) and someone, only to be torn from her so soon after he had admitted his feelings for her. And now he had been rewarded with a young turian female who was more than willing to jump into bed with him, despite their situation.

Garrus looked towards the boarded up window, noticing that the sunlight that was streaming through the gaps had lessened somewhat since the last time he had been awake. The day was gradually becoming night and he wondered whether getting a move on the next morning or leaving tonight was the best course of action. It was hard to decide, especially since either one meant that he and Kelias would be out in the desert, wandering aimlessly until they found some evidence of actual civilization and not another abandoned settlement. There had to be supplies in this town, even if they might have been decades old it was better than going out into the desert with nothing. He was struck between staying and waiting for help that probably would not come or leaving and facing a slow death out in the desert. Being turian he would last longer out in such an environment than a typical human but even so he would eventually succumb like anyone else would without access to water. He could not help but think all of this over, even if he was currently sleeping with a young female against him. His mind wandered sometimes, regardless of what situation he was in. He felt Kelias move against him again, groaning quietly. She was not an easy sleeper, constantly moving as if plagued by dreams and nightmares. Garrus wondered just what those dreams were about. Shepard had been much the same, plagued with dreams about her childhood on Earth and the hell she had been through on Torfan. It struck Garrus that he still knew barely anything about Kelias, unable to come up with any reason as to why she was having nightmares or mere dreams. He put an easing hand to her back and drew her close, feeling her body-heat meld with his own. It felt quite welcoming and eased whatever guilt he might have had on his mind. If he was going to die out in the desert then there was no reason for him to not enjoy himself beforehand. Kelias had thought the same thing and if it had not been for her, he doubted he would be in this position. Sure, he did not like to be pessimistic but the situation they were both in…they had not planned their escape as well as they had thought they had. Getting stranded in the desert had not been part of the plan but it certainly beat being a prisoner of some crazy, now deceased, human. Garrus remembered his killing of Roland and felt some satisfaction to finally be rid of the human. Whatever that man had been planning would remain a mystery and some mysteries were better left unsolved.

Garrus could not sleep, even if he wanted to. There was too much on his mind and too much to do. He needed a drink for starters and the water here was dirty but it was better than nothing. He wondered how long it would be until the plumbing here finally ceased functioning, being so old and ill-maintained. Probably not long, he figured. Slowly he slid his legs off of the bed and stood up, leaving Kelias to lie by herself as he made his way out of the bedroom and down the short hallway to the bathroom. Inside, he brushed some of the dirt and dust off of the mirror and took a long, careful look at himself. He tried the tap at the basin underneath, heard the pipes rumble and a moment later a thick column of murky water began to flow out. Reluctantly he leaned forwards and took a drink and when he was finished he turned off the tap. He left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, finding that Kelias sat up awake on the bed with a curious gaze on her face as he walked inside. She had not been only burned on one half of the face as there were numerous more down her right shoulder and along the right side of her. Garrus stepped over to her, his eyes taking in her entire form not unlike they had done earlier. The scars Kelias would bear for the rest of her life were practically unnoticeable, at least to Garrus. She could always get reconstructive surgery; that was if she ever made it back to galactic civilization alive. Even so, they did little to harm her image, especially when one was busy taking in the rest of her slender body. It struck Garrus that his guilt over the harm he had caused her was a large part of the reason why he had decided to sleep with her, the other being her own irresistible advances.

Garrus sat himself down on the side of the bed, surveying the discarded articles of clothing scattered upon the floor. He saw the Magnum revolver he had recovered from Roland's underground hideout, the one that Colonel Sommers had always carried and shot Garrus with on more than one occasion. The turian picked it up, felt its bulky and heavy weight in his grip and tried to spin it in his hand. He failed and the pistol fell out of his grip, clunking on the floor loudly. It was a weapon not built for a turian's taloned hands but Garrus knew that he would get the hang of it eventually. It was simply too good a gun to let pass by, especially when weapons was one thing he was genuinely interested in and could feel at ease with. Not like women, who were beyond his realm of knowledge. He felt Kelias shift close to him and wrap her arms around him, her hands rubbing against the scales at his chest. She nuzzled him at the side of the neck. She smelt of dirt and hard labour, as did Garrus. Neither of them had had a chance to wash themselves since their capture but neither of them cared. Garrus took her hands in his, able to feel her hot breath against the scales at his neck.

"You know, if I'm not mistaken, there's something on your mind," Kelias said, "There's no use denying it: I can tell."

Garrus frowned, having decided immediately to deny it. There were a lot of things on his mind and he doubted Kelias would be very interested in most of them. He decided then that maybe he should just play along with her, especially since she was showing genuine interest in his state of mind.

"For starters, there's Shepard," Garrus said, "I feel like—"

"Forget about her," Kelias interrupted, sounding a little annoyed. Garrus was surprised to hear her like this but said nothing, letting her finish speaking. "You have me now, Garrus. You don't need to worry about some human you had a brief fling with. Besides, turians and humans don't go well together."

"You think so?"

"I not only think so, I believe so," Kelias said, "A handsome man like yourself shouldn't need to waste his time with a human woman. Not when you have me."

Garrus was not sure about what he should say to this. Kelias sounded hostile, perhaps uncharacteristically so. It occurred to him that his thoughts of Shepard were a threat to her relationship with him. She was naturally defensive when it came to the man she had fallen for, which in this case was Garrus. Still, he could not shake the feeling that there was something else to all of this, judging from Kelias' reaction.

"I can't just forget her, Kelias," Garrus replied. He felt Kelias' grip around him tighten and she nuzzled him again, this time speaking close to his ear.

"You have me now," she said, "And I don't think you should take that lightly, especially after what we've just done together. And I should let you know, I'm not finished with you yet." She smiled mischievously and Garrus felt his heart start racing. He could not resist the allure of Kelias, even if his feelings were leaning strongly towards someone else. He turned around and watched as she moved back across the bed, inviting him forwards. Garrus climbed onto the bed, the turian equivalent of a smile crossing his features as he watched Kelias lie back and open up to him.

Something stopped Garrus from proceeding to do what his body was telling him to do. Something in his mind clicked and he hesitated as thoughts of his disloyalty to Shepard hit home, more profoundly than before. Kelias noticed his hesitation and sat up, a disappointed grimace on her features.

"Don't tell me you're feeling guilty, Garrus," she said, the irritation she was feeling evident in her tone, "Because that would just piss me off. To think that a handsome turian man like you has become infatuated with a human female…"

"I am not infatuated!" Garrus snapped suddenly, moving off of the bed and standing up. Kelias frowned at him, sitting up and watching as he bent to the floor and took up his pair of dirty black pants. Garrus did not know what was the matter with him, whether it had to do with Kelias' attitude or his thoughts about Shepard. Kelias seemed to think that he was hers and yet Garrus did not want this to be the case…or did he? He had no idea what he should do. His defensive tone simply indicated that maybe he was infatuated with Shepard and did not want anybody else to know. Ever since he had been torn from the Commander he had thought about her constantly. Even when he had been making love to Kelias he had not been able to stop thinking about Commander Shepard and their time together. He was not about to tell Kelias this though since it would probably just anger her more. It had never occurred to Garrus that he would end up in this situation: being intimate with one woman and unable to stop thinking about another. Maybe he just had issues…issues with women, mainly. He could never figure them out either. To him, women were an enigma. So hard to figure out and yet so good to look at.

"Whatever you say," Kelias said sarcastically. She clasped her taloned hands, picking at one of her talons as she sat and watched Garrus put his pants on. "Although the way you're acting would indicate that I'm right: this Shepard woman's got you wrapped around her little finger, if you don't mind the cliché…"

"You're saying she's controlling me?" Garrus looked back at her and shook his head. "If anyone's controlling me, it's you. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have escaped. If it wasn't for you, I would not have needed to save your sorry ass from Roland. And if it wasn't for you we wouldn't have had sex. Shepard, on the other hand, isn't even here so how the hell could she be controlling me?"

There was a lengthy silence. Kelias seemed unfazed and just shrugged.

"You did a crappy job of rescuing me," she said, "All I have to do is look in a mirror and I'm reminded of your bungled attempt to 'save my sorry ass', as you described it."

"I did what had to be done," Garrus replied. It occurred to him that Kelias might start making a big deal out of her burns now, probably because she had disappointed him. It made sense that she would suddenly tell him off about them since he was no longer following her every order. It struck Garrus that ever since he had met her she had been telling him what to do and he had been doing it quite willingly. It was as if she exerted some sort of control over him.

"Your determination to get the bad guy cost me half of my face," Kelias said. She did not seem genuinely angry, coming off as simply irritated as if her burns inconvenienced her. _They probably did_, Garrus thought absently. He finished pulling on his pants and bent down to grab his shirt and jacket, picking up the Magnum revolver from the floor as well as its holster. He put on his shirt and his jacket before placing the holster's strap around his waist, sliding the Magnum into its place within the holster itself.

"I'm sorry," Garrus said sincerely. Why would he not be sorry? He had ruined her face, that much was obvious. He felt guilty enough as it is without her adding more insult to injury.

"You should be sorry," Kelias replied. She paused, thinking for a moment. "You don't like the way I look, do you?"

"What?"

"It's my burns, the ones you gave me…They've put you off, haven't they?"

Garrus sighed. Now she was just beginning to get on his nerves. He turned around to look at her, unable to stop his gaze from leaving her face in order to take in the rest of her naked form. Why the hell couldn't she put some clothes on? He had.

"I said before that you're beautiful, even with the burns," Garrus said, shifting his gaze back to her face, "And they haven't put me off. So quit being such a…a…" He stumbled on finding the appropriate word. A slew of human phrases crept into his mind, along with plenty of turian ones.

"A what, Garrus?" Kelias raised an eyebrow ridge expectantly.

"A bitch," Garrus replied. He could not stop himself from smiling with satisfaction as he watched Kelias bristle with annoyance. She slid off of the bed and picked up her clothing from the floor, shaking her head at him as she got dressed. Garrus watched as she slid her slender and curved frame into her tight-fitting clothing, making sure to memorize her unclothed frame for future reference. For all the thoughts he had of Shepard, it did not mean he could not think of other women every now and then. A man had to account for his primal urges, after all.

"I thought you were a nice guy, Garrus," Kelias said once she had finished getting dressed, "But it seems like I was wrong."

"I am a nice guy," Garrus replied, although plenty of other people he knew would probably disagree. Garrus had done numerous things in the past that many people would consider "not nice", killing being among them. He thought that maybe he was not as nice as he believed himself to be. Not that he cared terribly about it.

"You certainly don't act like one," Kelias replied, turning to face him, "Here I was, thinking that you and I had something going between us and instead you can't stop thinking about that Shepard woman. It's obvious you're infatuated…"

"I'm not infatuated," Garrus replied, despite the fact that he himself was beginning to doubt the truth behind this statement.

"You're really terrible at lying, you know that?" Kelias replied, "Either that or you're unsure of the truth. Not that it really matters, since _I_ know the truth: you're infatuated with a human woman and can't even give time to someone of your own species who's more than willing to give you time in return…"

"Kelias, seriously, what did we do earlier?" Garrus asked, becoming annoyed at Kelias' almost snarky comments, "I gave you time, Kelias. Hell, I gave you more than just 'time', as you call it. I'm beginning to regret doing that already, and it's only been minutes since we both woke up."

"How about we just put this aside for now?" Kelias said, shaking her head, "We have other things to worry about, like what we're going to do next. I don't know about you, but I honestly have no idea where to go from here. I spent the last month in an underground bunker with barely any idea of what was outside. Now that we are outside, I have no clue where we should go."

"Neither do I," Garrus replied, grateful to finally have put aside the topic concerning Shepard, "But we're going to have to go somewhere. We can't stay here. Chances are someone's going to come looking for us and this will be one of the first places they decide to check out."

"Are you suggesting we head out into the desert?"

Garrus shrugged. What choice did they have? Kelias frowned at the implication and shook her head in a disapproving manner.

"I don't know if that's a sound plan, Garrus," she said, "The idea of starving to death out in the desert doesn't really appeal to me…"

"It doesn't appeal to me either," Garrus replied, "But we stay here and someone, probably one of Roland's friends, is going to find us. I doubt the guys I killed back at the bunker were his only thugs. He's probably got more where they came from."

Garrus fell silent, suddenly aware of a familiar sounding engine sounding. It sounded just like a standard shuttle and it was coming from outside. He stepped over to the boarded up window and ripped one of the flimsy wooden planks away, throwing it aside. He gazed out across the dilapidated desert town, watching as a small rectangular shuttle, the type often used to carry squads of troopers, flew in low over the town. It disappeared behind a row of buildings in an obvious indication that it would land. Kelias stepped up alongside Garrus and watched the shuttle with him, a worried gaze falling across her features.

"As I was saying," Garrus replied, unable to help but look a little smug, "Staying here isn't a good idea. Then again, heading into the desert probably isn't much better either."  
Kelias just shook her head and turned her gaze to him, some irritation evident on her features.

"What's your plan then?" She asked.

"I haven't got a plan," Garrus said.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Garrus said, pulling the Magnum out of the holster at his waist, "I guess I'll just have to make it up as I go along."

"That's…reassuring," Kelias said with obvious sarcasm. Garrus shrugged and watched from the window as a few mercenaries appeared, each dressed in white and black armour. He immediately noticed that they were unlike the human goons Roland had had back at the underground base. The four mercenaries slowly making their way through an alleyway across the street had their rifles raised and helmets on, visors down completely which hid their faces. Two were turian and two were human judging by the shape of the armour the mercenaries wore. None of the guards back at Roland's hideout had been turian: all of them had been human, as if Roland did not like hiring anyone of any other race. Why there were turian goons after Garrus and Kelias now was unknown to either of them but Garrus was already thinking that these mercenaries were not linked to Roland…but he was not about to go outside and greet them. Instead, he watched them carefully as they came into the street. One of them, a turian, put a hand to the side of his helmet to work his radio. Garrus strained to make out what was being said but managed to catch some of the exchange:

"This is Bravo Squad reporting in," the turian mercenary said, "We're in the town, no sign of either Vakarian or Lalitherax. Still searching, over." There was a pause as whoever was on the other end of the channel replied. The turian mercenary nodded in response before saying, "Yes sir, we'll make sure the female is not harmed."

Garrus frowned. _So_ these people were after him and Kelias. He exchanged glances with the female. Why did they want Kelias alive? This question was lost on Garrus as he pondered on what to do next. Getting outside without being noticed would be difficult so Garrus decided to wait for the group to leave.

Kelias had head the exchange and shook her head.

"They want me alive," she said, almost incredulously, "Why do they want me alive? Roland wanted to keep me alive, but he's dead…isn't he?"

The last question struck a chord of doubt within Garrus. How could Roland not be dead? Both turians had watched him get buried under a pile of heavy rubble. No human could have survived that, let alone a turian or a batarian. A krogan would probably have had trouble surviving having half a tonne of rubble fall on them and bury them. Roland had to be dead, he just had to be. Garrus quashed these thoughts, realizing that they were distracting him from what was happening before him. He could worry about whether Roland was dead or alive later on. Right now he and Kelias had to get past a bunch of mercenaries without getting killed or drawing anymore unnecessary attention to themselves. Garrus continued to watch the mercenaries as they started down the street, stopping only a short distance from the house he and Kelias were within.

Kelias took a few steps from the window, stupidly stumbling over the fallen nightstand by the bed, the one that Garrus had tipped over earlier in his anger prior to sleeping with Kelias. She grunted and fell onto the floor with a loud _clunk!_

The mercenaries outside froze and their gazes went up to the window. Garrus sighed, raised the Magnum and took aim through the gap in the window, getting one of the mercenaries into his sights. He fired, the gunshot almost deafening within the confines of the bedroom. The visor on the helmet of one of the human mercenaries smashed and a spray of blood exploded forth, the bullet blowing away a large portion of the man's face. The other three mercenaries seemed surprised and failed to react for a few seconds, allowing Garrus to take aim at one of the turian mercenaries. He fired the Magnum again and the turian mercenary spun slightly as dark blue blood exploded from a spot on his chest. He crumpled into a heap on the ground, the other two mercenaries scattering while one of them barked into his radio for reinforcements.

Garrus turned around and helped Kelias up off of the floor, too distracted to tell her off for making enough noise to get them discovered. Outside, the remaining mercenaries opened fire and rifle rounds pounded into the planks across the window, blasting them away with ease and sending splinters of wood flying. Rifle rounds slammed into the wall across the bedroom, blasting chunks out of the wall. Garrus and Kelias kept low as they made their way out of the bedroom, starting down the hallway and towards the stairs.

Garrus kept the Magnum revolver clutched in his right hand as he and Kelias raced down the stairs, each step sending up a cloud of dust from the carpet on each step. Outside, shouts could be heard as more mercenaries arrived. It seemed that there was a rather large force of hired goons searching for Garrus and Kelias and that practically all of them were in this town.

Stopping by the front door, Garrus went to open it but instead it opened from the other side. Garrus took a step back and watched as an armoured human mercenary stepped inside, a shotgun clutched in his grip and raised in a ready-to-fire position. Garrus ducked as the mercenary fired the shotgun, the pellets flying over the turian's head. Kelias dived to one side, trying to find cover or at the very least something to use as a weapon.

Garrus raised the Magnum revolver and pulled the trigger, his expression neutral as the mercenary convulsed slightly as the bullet slammed into his front. He went flying backwards through the doorway, landing in a heap on the ground outside. Garrus stood up and raced outside, picking up the dead mercenary's shotgun just as several other mercenaries across the street began shooting.

The air was cool against the skin as evening fell upon the desert landscape. Garrus had little opportunity to survey the weather as he dived behind a stack of old and weathered down crates. There were several mercenaries up ahead, all outfitted in the same sort of armour while the mercenaries themselves were either turian or human. Kelias hung back in the doorway of the house, refusing to step out.

Garrus brought up the shotgun, using it to blast a human mercenary as he came up along the front of the house, appearing from a corner to the right. The front of the mercenary was perforated with shotgun pellets and the force of the shot sent him flying backwards a short distance, landing on top of the rusted hulk of a car. The car wreck resounded with a dull _thump!_

Garrus glanced at Kelias, seeing that she was struggling to work out what she would do. She was caught in the doorway, unsure on whether to step outside or stay inside. Staying behind was not going to save her so Garrus yelled at her, firing his shotgun at the mercenaries up ahead repeatedly if only to keep them suppressed.

"Damn it, Kelias!" He shouted above the noise, "Run! Get out of here! I'll cover you!"

Kelias seemed to snap out of her thoughts and she started running. Garrus made sure to keep the attention of all of the mercenaries away from her, blasting a few more down with his shotgun. He stood up, catching a glimpse of Kelias disappearing into a nearby alley. He felt some relief, thinking that she would be far safer away from the scene of the firefight.

Garrus kept close to the walls of the buildings to his right, keeping his head low as bullets pounded into the wall near him. There were about half a dozen mercenaries scattered across the width of the street, most in cover behind abandoned vehicles or at the fronts of houses. Another mercenary ran out of an alley just ahead and Garrus was close enough to deliver a shattering blow into the human mercenary's face with the butt-end of his shotgun. The human's visor smashed and cut into the flesh behind before he fell into a heap on the ground, Garrus feeling a wave of satisfaction flow through him.

He ducked as a pair of the mercenaries up ahead shifted their aim, sending rounds pounding into the front of the house behind him. Garrus popped off a few shots in their direction, blasting away some of the crates they were crouched behind. One of the mercenaries, a turian, caught some shotgun pellets in the chest and fell backwards, dark blue blood oozing out of the wounds on his front.

Garrus stood up, backing into the nearby alleyway. He glanced behind and spotted a mercenary further into the alley. In a split second he had swivelled around and blasted the mercenary down, stepping over his lifeless corpse as he continued through the alley and came out onto another street. He looked around in the hope of finding Kelias but saw no sign of her. It was almost as if she had disappeared. Some worry found its way into Garrus' thoughts and he immediately regretted losing sight of her. He should have stayed with her, he thought, he should be protecting her.

He continued out onto the street, hearing footsteps behind him as a few of the mercenaries from the previous street started down the alley. Garrus blasted a few shots in their direction, taking a turian mercenary down before the other with him backed away into cover. Garrus swivelled back around just as a trio of mercenaries ran into view from an alley across the street.

The turian ducked and rolled to one side as rifle fire thundered in his direction. Garrus stood up and ran to the nearest window of the nearest building, diving through it and smashing through the glass with ease. Shards rained down all around him but his thick scales prevented any from cutting into him. Bullets zipped overhead and cut into the empty shop displays ahead of him, tearing up the metal shelving units. Garrus remained crouched as he moved to the window, leaning over the top and blasting the few mercenaries that were outside.

Garrus stood up, catching a glimpse of another mercenary just up ahead: this one was not wearing a helmet and was turian, having a mostly brown face and authoritative stance. Garrus went to aim his shotgun but the mercenary in question raised his weapon with an almost lightning speed and fired.

The round slammed into Garrus' front but instead of the expected sharp stinging pain and spray of blood it send ripples of muscle contracting electricity flowing through him. Garrus fell to the floor, dropping his shotgun as he yelled in agony at the crippling pain. His muscles contracted involuntarily and the pain made it impossible to think clearly. Within seconds, he had slumped onto the floor unconscious. There were no last thoughts on his mind because of the mind-numbing pain. Instead, he felt somewhat disappointed that it would end this way. He had been expecting to escape, for something to go right for him for once. Alas, nothing ever seemed to go right for him. Nothing at all. 

* * *

Kaslin Kevkas stowed away his pistol, ejecting the empty casing of the stun round. It had not taken much to track the two escaped turians on to this town. He stepped over to the unconscious Garrus Vakarian, remembering the things he had read up on the young turian prior to coming here.

Garrus was a close associate of the famous Commander Shepard. He had been in the military and C-Sec, he was a noted tech expert and sniper. Unfortunately, those skills and experience had done little to help him here. Kaslin looked down at the fallen turian in a passive manner. Sarah Turner stepped up alongside him.

"Boss, we've found the female," she announced.

"Good," Kaslin replied, "Make sure she's not harmed. The last thing we need is Roland to get pissed off because we hurt her."

Sarah nodded at the unconscious Garrus Vakarian who was sprawled across the floor before them. Kaslin pondered what to do with Garrus for a moment.

"Take this one back to the shuttle," Kaslin said, "If Roland asks, he was killed."

"But he's alive—"

"I want Roland to think he's dead," Kaslin replied, the turian equivalent of a smile forming at his mouth, "It's part of my plan. My excellent and well-organized plan."

"Ah…right," Sarah replied, sounding a little doubtful. Kaslin, on the other hand, knew what had to be done. And for the first time that Roland Halverson bastard would not be around to interfere with it. For the first time in three months, Kaslin Kevkas would be rid of the maniacal human and better off because of it.


	24. Betraying Roland

**Chapter XXIII: Betraying Roland**

Once again, Garrus Vakarian had been taken captive. It seemed to be becoming a habit of his, one he would have preferred to be rid of. It had happened twice in a week, compounding all of the other crappy things that occurred in the past month or so. His "bad month" was beginning to wear thin and instead of being a sort of curious novelty it had begun to piss him off. Why did all of this crap have to happen to him? And why at a continuous rate? It seemed like it was just one thing after another with no breaks in between. From Virmire to the jungle planet to being taken captive to Roland to…where was he now? Garrus had no idea, even as he opened his eyes and found that he was pleasantly surprised by his surroundings.

He was in some sort of well adorned lounge room, complete with comfortable sofas and expensive items on the mantelpieces at the walls. An extranet terminal was set into a nearby wall while a vid-screen (and a large one at that) was straight ahead, set into the wall and flanked by large sets of speakers. Garrus found that he was bound to a somewhat cheaper looking wooden chair, tied to it by tough plastic straps that were nigh on impossible to escape from without a means to cut them. There was a set of windows at one end of the lounge, providing a view out onto a set of well-maintained and lush green gardens. Garrus was perplexed at his surroundings, trying to work out just where the hell he was. It looked like he was in some sort of expensive house or estate, but whereabouts exactly was unknown. Was he even on the same planet as before? It was impossible to tell.

Garrus moved his hands about in the plastic straps at his wrists but found that they were simply too tightly bound to do anything with. His ankles were in the same sort of position, leaving him completely vulnerable to whoever had taken him prisoner now. He remembered back to the shootout at the desert town, remembering how he had lost sight of Kelias and how he had been hit by some sort of stun round. Someone had wanted him alive and had probably done the same sort of thing to Kelias. She was nowhere in sight and Garrus began thinking that maybe she was tied up elsewhere, or even worse she may have been dead. Garrus was not quite sure how he would handle the latter possibility if it was indeed the case. He took a look around his surroundings, his eyes falling upon a rather curious sight.

A very young turian female, perhaps no older than eight, was on the carpeted floor some distance to Garrus' right. She was dressed in a typical white and grey casual outfit, her attention focused solely on the plastic building blocks she was playing with. Garrus frowned, confused to see such a young girl in the room with him. Whoever owned this house must have had a daughter and that Garrus was looking at her right now. She had a sort of young innocence to her, her skin tone a mix of dark brown and dark blue. Her fringe was short, as was her general height. Garrus had never really liked young kids, primarily because they had a habit of annoying him and making a mess of everything. Looking at this young girl now, neither of those two properties had come forth. Instead, just looking at her lead Garrus to believe that she was unlike a lot of other turians her age. She seemed quiet and mild mannered and quite intent on fiddling with the plastic blocks she was playing with. Already she had constructed a sort of model of a house with them. Garrus watched her with a curious gaze and about a minute later she had stopped what she had been doing, turning her gaze towards him. She seemed to not notice the way Garrus was tied to the chair and smiled at him, as if she had no care in the world. She probably didn't, especially at her young age.

"Hello," she said, keeping her turian smile on as she spoke.

"Uh…hi…" Garrus said uncertainly. Until he was sure of the situation he was in, he was not about to tell much to a seemingly innocent eight year old. He saw the model she had constructed and noticed that it had a certain complexity to it that no ordinary eight year old could have achieved. This young girl was definitely smarter than she had first appeared.

She stood up and walked over to where Garrus sat, looking at him with a curious and careful gaze. She seemed to be judging him on whether he was a nice guy or not, as little kids often did. Garrus simply kept a neutral expression, trying to work out just why he was here. Maybe this young girl would be able to supply the answers he wanted?

"I'm Jilias," she said as an obvious introduction, "What's your name?"

"Uh…Garrus," Garrus replied.

"Daddy says you're in a lot of trouble," Jilias said. Garrus frowned. What did her father have to do with this?

"Your dad? Where is he?" Garrus asked, his curiosity suitably aroused. Just who had taken him captive now? The even more important question was whether these people had any connections to Roland, and if so, what sort? Then again, Roland was dead, so maybe Garrus had nothing to fear. If he was being kept tied up in the lounge room, of all places, then obviously his current captor was far more caring than Roland had ever been…or he just did not have anywhere else to keep Garrus. Either was a very real possibility.

"Daddy told me not to talk to you," Jilias said, almost mischievously. She knew she was breaking the rules and in typical young kid fashion she seemed to get excited by the prospect.

"Then why are you talking to me?"

Jilias seemed to think carefully about this for a moment, as if the thought had never really occurred to her. There was a reason why Garrus had never contemplated having kids and it had to do with the way they annoyed the hell out of him and were just plain stupid: sure, he may have been a child once before but he was thankful that part of his life was over.

"You seem like a nice person," Jilias replied after a lengthy pause. Garrus could only smile when he heard this: the young girl obviously did not know about some of the things he had done in the past and still did, like killing people. Lots of them, if his memory served him correctly.

"You think so?" Garrus asked.

The young girl seemed unsure about how to answer this. Garrus' attention was diverted to the figure that walked into the lounge through a doorway to the left: it was a turian, a male one at that with a mostly dark brown face and matching coloured eyes. He was dressed in a set of grey and black armour. He looked just like the turian Garrus had been about to shoot back at the desert town, mere seconds before he had been knocked out by the stun round. The young girl, Jilias, turned around to watch as the authoritative looking turian walked in.

"Jilias, sweetheart, leave Mr. Vakarian alone," the turian said, "I told you not to talk to him, didn't I?"

The young girl looked sheepish for a moment.

"Sorry, daddy…"

"That's alright," the adult turian said, "Why don't you go and eat your dinner? Your mother's just about finished cooking it."

Garrus took a look at what was through the windows nearby, noticing that it was definitely later in the evening. He had probably only been unconscious for a few hours, maybe not even that long. He returned his gaze to the adult turian and watched as Jilias left the lounge room. The adult turian, undoubtedly the young girl's father, stopped a short distance from where Garrus was seated and regarded him with a scrutinizing gaze. Garrus returned the look, trying to determine just who this man was and whether he had seen him anywhere before. Unfortunately, Garrus had no idea who the man was and what his connection was to all that had happened.

"Garrus Vakarian," the brown-faced turian said, "I'm Kaslin Kevkas. I run the Dark Talons mercenary organization here on Hallian." Kaslin paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. Garrus was still a little confused but some careful thinking managed to put two and two together: the Dark Talons were a turian-run mercenary organization and they were not as powerful as some of the other mercenary groups, like Eclipse or the Blue Suns but they did have some power in certain regions of the galaxy. The planet Hallian undoubtedly fell into one of their power bases.

"I did some reading up on you, Garrus," Kaslin said. He turned one of the couches around so that it was facing where Garrus was seated before sitting down in it. He sat back in the couch, as if he did not have a care in the world. It occurred to Garrus that this Kaslin guy was somewhat up himself. The indications were all there, the confident aura, the smugness…And still Garrus was confused as to how Kaslin Kevkas fit into all of this.

"You're one of Commander Shepard's best friends," Kaslin continued, "You've been by her side through so much. And apparently you went missing a couple of weeks ago, but time is hard to place when you're in different parts of the galaxy. What might have been weeks for you could have been mere days for the people here on Hallian. I wonder, Garrus, what happened to you during that time?"

Garrus frowned. Kaslin seemed friendly enough but this could very well be some kind of muse, a trick. Kaslin had obvious interests in him, otherwise he would not have taken Garrus alive and tied him up like this. Garrus wanted to know what Kaslin's game was before he started playing along with his conversation.

"What do you want from me?" Garrus asked, "And what have you got to do with what's been going on? And where the hell is Kelias?"

"Kelias?" Kaslin raised an eyebrow ridge. "I had to hand her over to Roland Halverson. You, on the other hand, the human did not have any use for. He had ordered me to kill you but I thought I may be able to use you. At this moment, he thinks you're dead. He'll be quite surprised to discover that you're not." Kaslin seemed to smile as he said this, as if the thought of surprising Roland was amusing. Garrus might have shared in the amusement if there was not one thing bugging him about it all.

"I killed Roland," Garrus said, remembering what had happened quite vividly, "I buried that bastard under a tonne of rubble. What you're saying is making it out that he's still alive…"

"He _is_ still alive," Kaslin replied, "I even watched with my very own eyes as he dug himself out of that rubble."

"Nobody could have survived that," Garrus said, eyes widening. Roland was still alive? It was an impossible notion. Having about half a tonne of rubble fall onto you was bound to do some serious damage. Yet Roland Halverson had survived.

"Roland's in perfect condition," Kaslin said, "It's as if the rubble did not harm him at all. It leads one to wonder whether he really is human…or something else entirely." He paused for a moment, letting this suggestion sink in. Roland looked human and seemed human enough…but there were so many things that did not add up about him, so many mysteries that Garrus was left even more perplexed about the human than before.

"Your friend, Kelias, is important to whatever Roland's been planning," Kaslin continued, "I was forced to hand her over to him. He thinks you're dead, mostly because I told him so. However, I don't see any reason in killing you. Not when you could be a potential asset. You want to know what interest I have in you? Well, I would like to know more of what Roland's been planning. You were his prisoner for a while, you should have an idea of what he's doing. I know it has something to do with some sort of device in a suitcase, other than that I'm in the dark about it. What about you, Garrus? Any ideas you care to share?"

Garrus frowned. So, he was just being kept alive for Kaslin's own benefit. Kaslin must have been linked to Roland in some way, probably through the human's use of his mercenaries as cannon fodder. And now Kaslin wanted to take advantage of the situation by getting whatever it was that Roland was so interested in: the apparent "time manipulation" device that was currently not in working order. Garrus was not about to tell Kaslin the true nature of the half-built device, even if he himself doubted the truth behind what it was capable of doing. It was understandable that someone like Kaslin would want a powerful item such as that.

"Roland captured Kelias since she was involved in some sort of top secret military project, something to do with advanced weapons systems or something, I'm not too sure," Garrus said, providing a half-truth and not an outright lie, "He wanted her to build him a prototype weapon, some sort of powerful, uh…bomb. Yeah, a bomb that could fit in a suitcase. Roland's planning on selling it to the highest bidder, whoever that is…" Garrus realized he was on a roll with this lie he had thought up of on the spot. He kept milking it along, making sure to keep it as plausible as possible. However, Kaslin interrupted him with a smug expression.

"That's quite strange, the part about the bomb, Garrus," Kaslin said. Garrus froze, realizing that he might have been busted. "Roland himself told me that it was some sort of time manipulation device, not a bomb. I prefer to go with what he says, and not some crappy lie cooked up by you."

"How do you have anything to do with Roland?" Garrus asked, annoyed. Kaslin was one smug bastard.

"He made me help him and give him the men he needed to carry out his operations, although he also has his own private security force of humans with high-tech weapons," Kaslin explained. The older turian leaned forwards where he sat, looking at Garrus carefully. "I just want to know how you got dragged into all of this. It seems odd, that a hot-headed young man like you could have gotten forced into what is not your business. If it was not for you, Roland's scheme would be going along smoothly, although I would still be plotting to betray him. You see, Garrus, I want that device, whether it works or not. And I want Kelias. She's as big a part of this as the device is. I have you, but it seems you have little to do with this. Shame, really…I could have used you." Kaslin shrugged as he said this. Garrus frowned, annoyed and with the realization that Kaslin could simply kill him without consequence. He knew he had to bring a good case forwards to defend himself, otherwise Kaslin would realize that Garrus was not going to be much help to him.

"So, did Roland stumble across you by accident?" Kaslin asked, "Or did you go and find him?"

"It was an accident," Garrus replied, "My whole involvement in this mess was not…expected." He knew that he had not meant to become involved, as Roland had made clear. He was an unexpected variable in the equation, one that had upset the balance of everything else. Why Kaslin wanted to know all of this was beyond him, but Garrus assumed that the smug bastard was just curious. He seemed the type, acting in an almost gentlemanly-like manner but housing an inner ruthlessness that was evident from the sinister gleam in his eyes. Kaslin would kill someone just as much as look at them, if they rubbed him the wrong way. Garrus wondered if Kaslin's wife and daughter knew his true nature. They probably did, he figured, they just either lived in ignorance of it or did not care. It was obvious Kaslin made a lot of money so it seemed plausible that he would be popular with the opposite sex for this reason. Money could buy happiness, it seemed. Garrus himself had never really had a lot of money (C-Sec never payed that well) and his salary had somewhat decreased when he had joined Commander Shepard's team. He had not needed money when everything he required to get by had been supplied to him on board the _Normandy_. Food, clothes, armour…as well as a few things he had wanted that were not really required for the mission he might have been on, such as entertainment vids and the like.

"Roland was after a Cerberus agent who had the device," Garrus continued, noticing that Kaslin was gazing at him expectantly, "That same agent had killed my brother, so I managed to track him down. I killed him but then I got taken captive by Roland. At least, that's a really simplified version of what happened."

"And now you're here, stuck in the middle of all that has occurred," Kaslin said, looking thoughtful for a moment, "As I said, I wish to acquire the device in question. A large part of why I want it is curiosity…and another is because of the apparent powers it has."

"It's not in working order," Garrus said, frowning. This was certainly true: the device was not fully constructed, thus it could not do whatever the hell it was supposed to do. It was strange that Garrus still knew so little about it, despite the explanation that Kelias had provided. Time manipulation could mean anything or nothing. It was all very confusing and Garrus had to take a moment to put some careful thought into the matter.

"That doesn't matter," Kaslin replied, "It's just that the whole idea of time travel fascinates me. How it works with a device that fits into a suitcase is beyond me, but I'm sure that it is very interesting." Kaslin seemed to gaze at the ceiling for a moment, thinking carefully about this and nodding his head before returning his gaze to Garrus. "Very interesting indeed."

It was definitely obvious that Kaslin wanted it for his own ends. Garrus knew he could not allow a smug mercenary like Kaslin get hold of it but the younger turian was not in much of a position to resist. Instead, he was tied to a chair in a lounge room of all places, having what could very well have been an ordinary conversation. Garrus tried the bonds at his wrists once again but they were far too tight to allow him to escape from them. He was stuck, at the mercy of Kaslin Kevkas and whatever he had planned for him.

"I'll find someone to get it working for me," Kaslin said, "Like your female friend Kelias. Isn't she the one who started building it in the first place?"  
Garrus knew where this was going. Maybe he had said too much, especially when it came to Kelias' involvement…then again, it would not have taken much for someone like Kaslin to work out how she fit into all of this.

Kaslin noticed Garrus' reluctance to reply and simply smiled. The smug bastard knew when he was right.

"I can see we're getting somewhere, Garrus," Kaslin announced happily, "I knew you would be of some use to me! Hell, why wouldn't you? You're practically a hero! Helping Commander Shepard save the galaxy…You may not be as well known as her, but don't be surprised if you get recognized in places. You're a very capable man, Garrus. Killing you would be such a waste of talent."

Garrus frowned. Roland had said the exact same thing: "_Killing you would be such a waste of talent."_ Garrus realized that once again he would be used by a despicable person to fulfil their own ends. Kaslin was the type of person who needed to be put to justice, yet it infuriated Garrus since he was in no position to do so. Besides, the man had a wife and daughter…then again, Garrus figured that a lot of the people he had killed had had families as well. For once, he actually began to think that he was perhaps no better than people like Kaslin. It did not take much to quickly quash these thoughts since he knew that self-doubt would only hamper his abilities and he really needed them right now. He needed to get out of the situation he was in, he needed to save Kelias, he needed to kill Roland…

It was simple enough when he thought about it: kill the bad guys, get the girl. Such a thought made him smile, if only for a brief instant. He was reminded of Kaslin's existence when the older turian's voice broke over the relative silence of the room, derailing Garrus' train of thought.

"Originally, I was thinking that I could get whatever information I needed out of you and then kill you, perhaps even dump your body in the desert somewhere…" Kaslin trailed off, thinking carefully of what he would say next. "Then, I realized that killing you would be unnecessary. Instead, I think I can use you. You can help me get what I want and as such I shall reward you. Here and now I will give you an offer: you refuse, I will kill you. You accept and we both have a chance of getting out of this as happy men. I don't want to kill you, Garrus: you're a young man with a full life ahead of you. I don't want to deprive you of that without giving you a choice in the matter first. However, I will kill you if you refuse or if you piss me off. It's simple as that."

"And, uh…what's your offer?" Garrus asked, raising an eyebrow ridge. He could tell that Kaslin was serious about what he was saying, that he did not want to kill Garrus without giving him a choice first.

"You're going to get me the device and you're going to get me Kelias," Kaslin said, "And, to sweeten the deal, I shall ensure Kelias' safety so when she has finished building a working 'time manipulation' device for me, I will give her over to you. The two of you can then do whatever you want from then on, whether that be to fuck each other, get married or head your separate ways. Whatever you do, it does not matter to me. It shouldn't matter, since I'll have the power of time on my side if this device does what it's supposed to do."

"You're one smug bastard," Garrus spat, "You know I can't say no to an offer like that. And I know that by accepting, I'm probably going to get myself killed trying to reach Roland."

Kaslin shrugged, smiling as he did so. He did not care: Garrus' survival did not matter to him, as long as he got what he wanted.

"And if I refuse?" Garrus inquired.

"I will kill you now and use my numerically superior force of mercenaries to kill Roland, get the device and get Kelias. I'm giving you a choice in the matter, Garrus, because I like you so much. You remind me of a younger version of myself: all hot-headed and eager to get into the action. Trust me, by the time you're my age you won't be so willing to be as involved in the dangerous side of things as you are now. When you're my age, you become far more thoughtful and calculating. You'll learn some harsh lessons in life, Garrus, if you haven't already. If you keep up with your current line of work, you'll probably have your fair share of trials and tribulations. By the time you're my age, you'll know never to trust anyone entirely, even those closest to you. I don't trust _you_, just to clarify."

Garrus could tell that Kaslin had been through his fair share of "trials and tribulations". Garrus refused to accept the part about trusting no one: if there was anyone he would trust with his life, it would have to be Shepard.

"You don't trust anybody because you're just a sour bastard," Garrus said, "You lack…humanity." Of course, the proper term in place of "humanity" would be "turianity", but that did not really matter to Garrus right now. He was just trying to get a point across.

Kaslin shrugged again. He did not care. Why would he? He was set for life, with plenty of money and a family. Garrus knew that when it came time to handing over the device he could not do it, regardless of what was at stake. And there was the very real possibility that Kaslin would betray him. Garrus figured that he would just have to cross that bridge when he came to it, _if_ he came to it.

"Humanity's the least of my worries, Garrus," Kaslin said, "What I want to know is, are you going to take up my offer?"

There was no hesitation on Garrus' part:

"Of course I will."

"Good," Kaslin replied, "With that out of the way, I can tell you where Roland is. And I suppose I can untie you, since you can't really help me out tied up to a chair now, can you?"

He stood up, removed a combat knife from a sheath at his waist and stepped over to where Garrus was seated. He used the knife to cut the plastic straps at the younger turian's wrists and ankles, allowing him to stand up and stretch his aching muscles.

"So, uh…what's the plan?" Garrus asked. He had his doubts about going after Roland, especially if the human still had plenty of those goons of his with him. He probably did, meaning that Garrus would have to fight through all of them by himself. It was hard to determine whether that was a good or a bad thing.

"Roland is planning to leave this planet on his personal frigate, the _Shoulder of Orion_," Kaslin explained, "He plans to take the unfinished device and Kelias with him. Where he's going he has not disclosed, which is why it is imperative that we stop him from leaving. He has his own personal spaceport on the edge of town. It's under heavy guard, but I'm sure with the right equipment you'll be able to handle yourself fine." Kaslin smiled and cheerfully patted Garrus on the shoulder.

The mention of equipment sparked the younger turian's attention.

"Equipment? Where do I get that from?" Garrus asked. He was still in the outfit he had been wearing since his arrival here on Hallian: a set of black pants, a dark vest and some standard footwear. It was certainly a far cry from the dark blue armour he had grown accustomed to wearing. He needed something of that type in order to have a better chance of survival. The thought that he was heading out on some sort of suicide mission did cross his mind, but he let those doubts dissipate as he set his mind on the task at hand.

"I'm going to send you into the spaceport and if you manage to cause enough damage I'll bring in some of my troops to clean up. Don't worry about a rendezvous since I'll find you." Kaslin seemed to have everything planned, something that did not surprise Garrus much. It also made Garrus somewhat more wary of the obviously untrustworthy older turian, but he had little other choice but to play along with his plan. Garrus was not about to refuse Kaslin's offer and get himself taken outside and shot dead. That was not the way Garrus had envisioned himself to go.

Kaslin escorted Garrus out of the lounge and down a hallway to a set of downward travelling stairs. These lead into a large armoury within the basement of the estate.

"Once you've got what you needed, go out the front of the estate," Kaslin said, "There's a car waiting for you there to take you to the spaceport."

Garrus was left to his own devices within the armoury save for a pair of turian guards at the doorway. Looking at all the different kinds of weapons on the many racks within the armoury, Garrus suddenly felt quite at home. He started to the nearest set of assault rifles and picked one up.

For all the doubts he felt to the validity of Kaslin's "offer" and the task ahead, Garrus knew he had to play along. He wanted to save Kelias, he wanted to kill Roland…And yet he was going to put himself in great danger to do these things. _Nothing ventured, nothing gained,_ he thought.

Garrus found himself a set of dark grey armour that seemed to fit his frame well. He ducked into an adjoining booth and quickly changed into it before equipping himself with an assault rifle, a submachine gun and a grenade launcher. It was a similar grenade launcher to the type that Roland had used against him during his escape from the underground tunnels: it loaded one grenade at a time but was extremely portable and lightweight. Garrus knew he would need to have all his movement capabilities to their full extents if he was to survive whatever awaited him at Roland's spaceport and he did not need to be weighed down by heavy weaponry. It seemed all a bit too easy that Kaslin was giving him a chance to try and rescue Kelias but Garrus decided against thinking about it anymore. Whatever Kaslin had planned, Garrus told himself he would stop that bastard as well. Not only would Roland meet his end but Kaslin as well. At least, Garrus hoped for this to be the case. And in the middle of it all, he would save Kelias.

Finally, when he had all his equipment ready, Garrus left the armoury and found his way out into the night air of the colony. Once this was all over, Garrus would find Shepard. His fling with Kelias would make getting reinvolved with Shepard a bit more difficult, especially with the guilt he felt about. Until it came time to worry about it, Garrus decided he would not think about it anymore until he was finished with Roland. With renewed confidence, Garrus started for the car that awaited him at the front gates of the estate's grounds. He knew better than anyone else that tonight would be a long night.


	25. Turning up the Heat

**Chapter XXIV: Turning up the Heat**

Night had fallen, the many buildings in the settlement lit up from a variety of light sources. Above, the sky was filled with a vast array of stars and two moons, each one providing a bright illumination to the landscape below. Outside of the settlement, the air was cold and quiet with very little indication that the region was actually inhabited. There was one large structure, oval in shape and several storeys high: it was a spaceport, currently populated by a single frigate and numerous armed guards. A lone car drifted along a desert road, coming to a stop by a hill some distance from the spaceport.

Garrus Vakarian stepped out, making sure to place the new eyepiece he had acquired from the armoury in Kaslin's estate over his left eye. It provided some illumination of the darkened landscape around him, singling out some objects such as rocks and desert shrubs with a purple silhouette before displaying lines of information about them. Garrus adjusted the eyepiece so that it only singled out armed targets and not random objects. He looked towards the spaceport, his eyepiece casting a purple silhouette upon the two armed and armoured human guards standing outside of the spaceport's front door. It made sure to highlight the weapons they held in a bright red light, telling the turian that they were indeed armed and dangerous. Then again, so was he.

As much as Garrus did not trust Kaslin Kevkas, he had had little option but to play along with the older turian's plan. Garrus was to go into the spaceport some time before Kaslin's goons would and cause as much mayhem as possible while trying to find Kelias. Roland was yet to leave the planet, thus there was still a chance to find him and Kelias in the spaceport. If Roland really did need Kelias alive then chances were she had not been harmed and would still be alive when Garrus finally found her. He certainly hoped that this was the case.

Garrus left the car parked behind him as he carefully started towards the spaceport, keeping low and sticking to the shadows as he moved. The two guards out the front remained oblivious to his presence. A quick look up revealed that there was a sniper on duty on a walkway near the top of the spaceport. Garrus stopped behind a vehicle parked outside of the spaceport, keeping behind it as he pulled a suppressor from his armour and screwed it onto the end of his assault rifle. Taking aim with the rifle, Garrus peered down the weapon's scope towards the sniper and pulled the trigger.

The weapon coughed, the sound almost inaudible in the night air. The human up high with the sniper rifle was hit in the face, a spray of blood signifying a critical hit. He fell backwards and disappeared from view behind the walkway's railing.

Garrus returned his gaze towards the two guards at the front of the spaceport. Neither seemed to notice the sniper's death and were both talking quietly to each other instead, oblivious to the presence of the turian. Garrus kept behind the parked car, attempting to determine the most efficient way to approach the situation. Getting inside would be easy but there was absolutely no way to determine how many of Roland's goons would be inside. It seemed logical to think that there were a lot of them. If Roland really was planning to leave then he would probably start prepping his frigate for take-off at the first sign of trouble. Garrus would have to be fast the moment he started causing mayhem inside the spaceport. Sabotaging the ship seemed like a logical thing to do and could be achieved in the spaceport's control centre or Garrus could simply ignite the fuel tanks…either way would work out fine.

Carefully, Garrus took aim at the two guards standing outside of the main entrance. Within seconds of each other, Garrus had gunned down each of the guards. Their lifeless bodies crumpled onto the ground into a heap, allowing Garrus to step out of hiding and start towards the front door.

The door was locked, something he had been expecting. Activating his omni-tool, he had little trouble hacking the security lock on the door. After a few moments, the door hissed open. Behind was a grey hallway heading either left or right or simply straight ahead into the docking area itself. The signs on the walls pointed the way to the few important areas, with one in particular getting Garrus' attention: CONTROL. It went off to the left, heading up a flight of stairs.

Slowly and with his assault rifle raised, Garrus started up the stairs. He stopped a short way from the top, pausing to listen into the room above. There were a few voices coming from the room above and a quick peek revealed that it was some sort of recreation area, complete with a pool table and vending machines. The control room was a floor above, accessible by the stairs at the end of the room.

Garrus, with his back to the wall, continued up the stairs and into the recreation area. About five of Roland's goons were in the room, two of which were playing pool, another one observing the game while the final two were standing by a vending machine and talking. Their weapons were leaning against the pool table or the wall near the vending machine, indicating that they were not expecting any sort of intruder.

When one of them saw Garrus the entire room fell silent. The muzak playing in the background continued regardless but the guards playing pool did not move. Garrus had his rifle raised, his finger on the trigger while his heart pounded in his chest. Who should he shoot first?

One of the guards standing near the vending machine went for a rifle that was leaning against the machine. Garrus cut down this particular guard, sending numerous rounds into him. The guard spun and convulsed before slumping against the back wall, staining it with blood as he fell down it.

In the seconds that followed, the three guards near the pool table used all of their combined effort to tip it onto its side. Billiard balls fell off and started rolling across the floor. Pulling out their side-arms, the three guards ducked behind it. The other guard by the vending machine went for his side-arm but Garrus cut him down easily, sending this particular guard falling into a heap against the vending machine.

The three guards behind the billiard table proceeded to fire blindly around their makeshift barricade, bullets pounding into the walls near Garrus. The turian ducked down the stairs as rounds zipped over him, his kinetic barriers taking a beating as he went into cover. Stowing his assault rifle, Garrus pulled out his grenade launcher and checked to make sure that it was loaded. There was a single high explosive grenade inside the launcher and it was just what Garrus needed in his current situation.

Standing up, Garrus brought the grenade launcher to bear and fired. There was a loud _ploomp_ sound as the grenade fired, followed a split second later by a roaring explosion that knocked Garrus backwards. The billiard table was blasted into hundreds of pieces, the three guards behind it being sent flying across the room. One of them smashed into the vending machine, making a vandalism alarm sound as several cans of drink began to fall out. The other two were sent into the back wall, one knocking over a potted fern.

Regaining his senses, Garrus stowed the grenade launcher and pulled out his assault rifle. He took a moment to survey his handiwork, noticing now that the recreation room was a damn mess, left with a smoking hole in the carpet and pieces of the billiard table strewn everywhere. With a hint of satisfaction, Garrus smiled before continuing to the next flight of stairs.

An alarm began to sound throughout the spaceport and several guards began to make their way to the source of the loud explosion. Garrus came to another hallway up the stairs and a quick look around brought his gaze onto a metal automatic door labelled "CONTROL ROOM: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY". Stepping towards the door, Garrus activated the panel in the doorway and the metal door slid open. Beyond was a small room with a wide window at the end. The room was filled with computers and other assorted tech as well as being populated by two men in technician's uniforms and a pair of armed guards. Through the window the docking area was visible, complete with catwalks and the large form of Roland's frigate, the _Shoulder of Orion_.

Garrus mowed down both guards with a quick volley of assault rifle fire. One of the technicians went for the announcement system with the obvious intention of calling for help. Garrus shot him a few times as well, sending the technician's lifeless corpse falling against a desk.

Immediately after this Garrus had set his aim on the other technician who was seated at the control computers. The technician raised his hands in surrender, a look of terror in his eyes as Garrus pointed his assault rifle into the human's face.

"Lock them out," Garrus said, nodding to the computers before them. All spaceports like this had the ability to lockout the controls of the ships within them, disallowing them from taking off regardless of what the pilot of the ship tried to do. This sort of thing had been used on the _Normandy_ by C-Sec during its brief stint of lockdown on the Citadel. Of course, Captain Anderson had rectified the situation and ensured that the ship and its crew had been able to leave and head to Ilos.

"Lock them out?" The technician asked stupidly.

"Yes, damn it! Lock them out!" Garrus yelled, anger heavy in his tone. The technician promptly nodded and began to manipulate the computers before him. A minute or so later and one of the panels was flashing red, indicating that the flight controls for the frigate _Shoulder of Orion_ had been locked out from the cockpit. Now Roland would not be able to leave unless he came up to the control room himself and overrode the lockout.

"Thanks," Garrus said, mere seconds before he sent the butt-end of his assault rifle into the back of the technician's head. The technician slumped onto the control panel, unconscious.

Turning around, Garrus opened fire as a pair of guards appeared in the doorway. Both guards spun and fell, landing on the floor with dull thumps. Stepping over their corpses, Garrus stepped out into the hallway and tried to work out what he would do next.

He need not have worried about trying to find out where Roland was: the human's voice, crazed with rage, broke the relative silence inside the spaceport. He was speaking through the spaceport's announcement system, obviously quite annoyed at the turian's intrusion here.

"_Garrus Vakarian, I thought you were dead!" _Roland yelled, _"I should never have trusted Kaslin, that bastard. Do you think you can stop me? You cannot stop me, you are nothing! NOTHING! Do you hear me? YOU ARE NOTHING! You are in way over your head, you turian prick! Do you know what I am trying to do? The lives I will save? I am this galaxy's only salvation! And you would actually try and kill that salvation, put it out like a candle flame? You would actually ensure that the galaxy is destroyed in the years to come? I have seen the future, Garrus! You have not! I have the advantage here, Garrus! You cannot win! You can't win! You never will win! You're not _supposed_ to win! For fuck's sake, leave! Leave now and I'll let you live!"_

Garrus ignored Roland's insane rant as he continued through the hallway, starting for the door up at the end of the hallway. Out of an adjoining office a pair of guard barged into the hallway, rifles firing. Garrus ducked and returned fire just as his kinetic barriers failed. Both guards fell, blood splattering onto the walls behind them as the rifle rounds tore through their armour and into their flesh.

"_You are so determined Garrus! And for what? Just because you want to see me die? Do you actually have a reason, Garrus? Do you? You do not, do you? You don't know what you're fighting for! You never have known what you've been fighting for! You pride yourself on being just when you're just as evil as the criminal scum you've killed in the past! You and I, Garrus, are no different. You and I are the same. We are both determined to see this through. We are both determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that the mission is completed, even if that means killing innocents. The innocent are not innocent when they are impeding your progress. You think that, don't you Garrus, dear boy? Don't you, you turian fuck!"_

Roland was beginning to sound increasingly crazed. Garrus knew then that the human knew he was cornered. He was trying to talk Garrus out of what he was about to do but the turian would have none of it. Roland Halverson was insane and deserved to die. There was always some crazy bastard in the galaxy who needed to be put down and Roland was one of them. Garrus wanted to have the pleasure of killing the bastard, no matter what it took. Why? Because he wanted to see it through. He did not want to turn around and leave, not after all that had happened. Letting Roland get away would just hurt his pride. God only knew what the maniac would do with Kelias once she was no longer necessary to his schemes.

Garrus paused by the metal door at the end of the hallway. It lead to the docking bay area and there were certainly going to be a lot of Roland's goons hanging about outside. Taking a deep breath, the turian slowly opened the door. He closed it shut as several rifle rounds pounded into the doorway outside, clanging loudly against the metal of the building. There were guards outside just waiting for him to step through the door. Garrus would not give them the pleasure of shooting him.

Stepping into the adjoining office, Garrus crouched by the window within. Slowly he looked up over the top of the windowsill, taking note of the catwalks and the numerous gun wielding guards scattered along them. Up above were some more catwalks and ledges, populated by sniper armed guards who were carefully scanning the interior of the docking bay for a sign of the turian. Garrus carefully raised his assault rifle, taking aim at a sniper on one of the furthest and highest ledges. Using his rifle's scope, he zoomed in and set his crosshair upon the sniper's torso. Pulling the trigger, Garrus sent forth a quick volley of rifle fire that zipped through the air and pounded into the sniper's front. The guard fell forwards, over the railing and plummeted to his death, landing with a dull _thump_ upon the top of Roland's frigate.

Garrus shifted his aim and cut down one of the other sniper wielding guards just as a hail of assault rifle fire smashed through the window and proceeded to tear apart the inside of the office. The computer on the desk smashed and the cabinet on the back wall was torn to shreds. Garrus ducked and edged his way back to the metal door, opening it slightly and cutting down a guard further along the catwalk. He tumbled over the railings, falling down onto the cement floor of the docking bay.

Garrus charged out onto the walkways. At the same time he scanned the area ahead of him and his visor highlighted every armed guard he could see, telling him how far away they were and what their current elevations above ground level were.

Promptly, the turian somersaulted behind a nearby set of metal containers. There were a few guards on the walkway above and they went to open fire but Garrus was faster, bringing his assault rifle to bear and sending a spray of assault rifle fire into the bottom of the walkway. Sparks flew and several of the rounds penetrated, the guards above convulsing and spinning about in a warped dance of death as they fell.

Rifle rounds pounded into the front of the metal containers while several more guards poured in from the docking tube connected to the parked frigate, charging onto the walkway. Garrus leaned around the metal container and opened fire, keeping the trigger pulled as the guards scattered for cover. A few of them fell while others made it into cover behind barrels and containers, proceeding to make a nuisance of themselves by blind-firing from where they were.

Rifle rounds pounded into Garrus' kinetic shields from somewhere above and the turian swivelled around, catching a glimpse of a lone guard up on a walkway to the right. Garrus' shields failed and a stray round slammed into his assault rifle, sending it flying from his grip. It sparked and sizzled, sliding across the ledge and out of his reach.

Garrus immediately pulled out his heavy pistol and took aim at the guard, blowing part of the human's head away with a well placed shot. Garrus ducked back behind cover as the guards up ahead continued to fire in his direction, rounds pummelling the metal container as they gradually wore it down. The turian took a deep breath, taking a quick look behind to ensure that no one was sneaking up on him.

It struck him then that maybe coming here had not been a good idea. He was outnumbered and outgunned and now completely surrounded. Roland was nowhere in sight and neither was Kelias. They may have been inside the frigate, making this Garrus' current objective. He just had to get past the few dozen armed thugs between him and the way onto the ship.

The sound of footsteps off to his right made him look in that direction. A pair of armed guards were trying to flank him and Garrus proceeded to shoot both down, his heavy pistol recoiling in his grip with each shot. From nowhere Roland's angered voice broke over the noise of the shootout, somewhat muffled through the spaceport's announcement system:

"_Coming here was a mistake, Garrus! You're going to die here! Die! Diediediediedie! HAHAHA! DIE! What compelled you to come here, Garrus? Was it your determination? Need I remind you that it was your determination to kill me that made you harm Kelias and destroy her beauty with hideous burns? You disfigured her, Garrus. Don't you feel guilty because of that? Scarring her face like that…It's bad karma. And karma can come back and bite you in the arse when you least expect it! And now, you're going to die! Are you happy with your life, Garrus? Are you? Because I don't know why you should be. You are, after all, a monster like me. As I said before, you and I are no different. Remember that, Garrus."_

The only thing Garrus thought he would probably remember was how much of a nutcase Roland Halverson was. The human had to be around here somewhere. Chances were he would try and get to the control room to shut down the lockout so he could leave the planet. Almost on cue Garrus heard the human shouting from below, having connected his communicator to the spaceport's announcement system wirelessly (everything was wireless nowadays). He had Kelias in tow and was running down a set of stairs from the level Garrus was currently on, having slipped out of the frigate during the confusion of the shootout.

Garrus stood up upon seeing Roland. How the hell could that human still be alive? It was crazy to think that he had somehow survived being buried under a tonne of rubble without so much as a scratch.

"_If you so much as pursue me, Garrus, I'll kill Kelias! I know you like her, so I'll hurt her! You can bet your sorry arse on it!"_

Garrus gunned down a few more guards seconds before he started running along the catwalk, his gaze set on Roland who was below. Bullets slammed into the metal of the catwalk and the walls near him but he kept running and did not stop. Up ahead a pair of guards ran into view and Garrus simply raised his pistol and blasted both as he ran, knocking one of them off of the catwalk as he raced past.

That was when several armed turian and human mercenaries came running from doors onto the catwalks, all of them outfitted in the typical grey and black armour of the Dark Talons mercenary group. Garrus had no time to be relieved to see them, especially since Roland was trying to get away. As the mercenaries and Roland's thugs battled it out, removing some of the heat off of the turian, Garrus managed to make it to a flight of stairs leading down to the floor of the docking bay.

Garrus opened fire in Roland's direction, firing a few shots wide in order to get the human's attention. As he did so about three of Roland's soldiers opened fire from a walkway above, forcing the turian to duck. He shifted his aim up high and unloaded at each of them, sending the trio back into cover. One of the soldiers caught a bullet in the face and keeled over, dead.

Roland stopped running and pulled Kelias in front of him. Garrus continued down the stairs until he was on the same level as Roland, standing about twenty metres away from the human. Roland was in his usual outfit, albeit a clean one. He had a crazed, almost fiery look in his eyes. He managed a brief look around as his plans came crashing down around him, more of Kaslin's mercenaries storming the docking bay and making short work of Roland's goons.

Roland was unarmed which seemed odd. Garrus did not care much about Roland being armed or not. Instead, he raised his pistol and pointed it straight at Roland. Kelias was in front of Roland but Garrus was confident that he could shoot Roland without killing her instead. He had done it before at Dr. Michel's clinic in the Citadel, getting commended by Commander Shepard for his shooting skills as a result. Remembering this only angered Garrus more since it had been because of Roland that he had been torn away from Shepard so soon after they had consummated their relationship. Roland was the cause of all of this trouble, including the device in the suitcase he now held in his left hand. His right held Kelias in a strong headlock and the female turian looked scared out of her wits.

"Garrus…please! Help me!" Kelias shouted, struggling against Roland's grip but to no avail. Roland seemed unnaturally strong for a human but Garrus doubted he would be able to survive a bullet to the head. The male turian levelled his aim with his pistol, barely noticing the shootout that was occurring on the walkways above between the Dark Talon mercenaries and Roland's thugs. Garrus knew that he would need to make sure that his aim and his timing was perfect, otherwise he would hit Kelias and probably kill her. He did not need her death on his conscience, not after all that had happened.

"You shoot me, Garrus, and you'll hit her!" Roland shouted, his voice laced with insanity, "Let us go and I'll let you live! This isn't your fight after all…You were simply dragged into all of this by accident. You were not supposed to get involved…"

"But I have gotten involved," Garrus replied. He was having none of Roland's crazed ramblings. He wanted to end this, here and now. It had already gone on long enough.

"Are you really going to risk Kelias' life again just to get me, old boy?" Roland asked, "You'll kill her this time, Garrus. Or does getting me justify such an action? Ask yourself this: what makes you so different than me? Do you think yourself morally superior?"

"Yes…"

"And yet you would sacrifice innocent lives to bring criminals to justice?" Roland asked.

"Sometimes innocents have to die for the greater good," Garrus said. He saw a fearful look in Kelias' eyes as he said this and immediately Garrus regretted saying it.

"That's exactly what I think," Roland said, "So, tell me, are we really so different?"

There was a silence between the two, backgrounded by the sounds of weapons fire from the shootout happening on the walkways above. Garrus hesitated momentarily, shifting his gaze towards the ground while Roland seized his chance to keep talking.

"We're no different. We are the same. You and me. We are the _same_." Roland added extra emphasis on the last word so that it almost stung Garrus' conscience. And with that, the turian returned his gaze to Roland and simply shook his head.

"We're not the same," Garrus said, "And we never will be."

With that, Garrus pulled the trigger on his pistol. The gunshot echoed throughout the expanse of the docking bay. Kelias' fell from Roland's grip onto the ground and for a heart-stopping instant Garrus thought he had shot her. She crawled away from Roland, turning around as she went to look at the human in horror. Garrus followed her gaze towards Roland and felt a stab of fear.

Roland had a gaping hole in his forehead, one that did not go as deep as it should have went. Instead, jagged flesh hung loosely around the hole caused by the bullet. The hole itself had revealed a shiny metal plating underneath. The human shook his head in a slight daze and Garrus watched with sheer amazement as the flesh healed itself over the wound within seconds, regenerating with amazing speed and leaving no visible scars.

Garrus fired again and again on impulse, blowing a few bloody holes into Roland's front. The human stumbled momentarily before regaining his footing. He shook his head, smiled and started walking towards the turian. As he walked he delivered a sharp kick to Kelias' face where she lay, knocking her out cold and sending her sprawling onto the ground. Garrus went to fire his pistol again but before he had a chance to Roland had grabbed hold of it, squeezing the barrel and crushing it in his grip. He pried the ruined pistol from Garrus' stunned hold and tossed it away.

The turian shook himself out of his stupor and in one fluid motion reached down to his waist with one hand and pulled out his combat knife. Within seconds he had plunged the whole blade into Roland's throat, making the human stumble backwards momentarily. Blood trickled down Roland's neck while the hilt of the blade jutted freely from the front of his throat. For a moment Garrus thought that Roland would finally succumb but much to his surprise the human simply reached up to the hilt of the blade with one hand and pulled it free. He tossed the blade aside, the gash on his throat healing before Garrus' very eyes.

"What the hell are you?" Garrus managed to say, moments before Roland delivered a near crippling blow to the turian's face. The turian was sent flying a few feet before landing painfully on the concrete floor, metres from Roland who simply kept on walking.

He stopped, smiling to himself. Garrus began to back away, realizing that he was facing something that he had never come across before. Roland was not human. Roland Halverson was something else entirely, something that was augmented by synthetics and capable of regeneration…Nothing Garrus knew of was like that. He backed away a short distance, watching as Roland put down the suitcase he clutched in his left hand before outstretching both arms.

"Let's turn up the heat a little," Roland said, a smile playing across his features. Flames suddenly appeared at his arms, flickering eerie shadows playing across the concrete floor. Roland swung his right arm and sent a wall of flame flying forth, slamming into the fuel tanks against the wall and blasting off their valves. Raw fuel began to pour out onto the ground, all of it igniting into a startling show of pyrotechnics. Swinging out his other arm, Roland sent a wave of fire flying outwards that set alight the Dark Talon mercenary who had come running down the nearby stairs at that instant. The mercenary yelled and screamed and ran about wildly as the flames ate away at him. He fell onto the ground, screaming in agony for a few subsequent moments before those screams stopped…abruptly.

Garrus did not know what to do. For the first time he was genuinely afraid. Roland Halverson was unlike any enemy he had come across before, Sovereign not withstanding. However, there was still one ace up Garrus' sleeve that he had almost forgotten about: the grenade launcher.

Quickly, Garrus brought out the grenade launcher as Roland stood his ground, basking in his pyrotechnic glory. The turian flipped open the launcher and fumbled at his equipment belt for a grenade, finding an incendiary one which struck him as rather fitting. He shoved it into the launcher, flipped it shut and while remaining on the ground he raised it in his right hand and fired. The grenade exploded into a massive swirling ball of flame across Roland's front, setting the human's entire form alight. For a brief moment Roland just stood where he was as the flames enveloped his entire frame. He said nothing, he did not scream.

Garrus loaded another incendiary grenade and blasted Roland again. This time Roland did start screaming as his flesh began to melt away, his clothes disintegrating in the intense heat. Globs of flesh fell away from his face and his eyes melted in the most sickening display of fire damage on a body that Garrus had ever seen. His hair turned to ash, the skin on his hands bubbled away. Garrus watched as Roland's flesh melted off of his frame, revealing the metal endoskeleton beneath. It was human in its basic form but complemented with all sorts of refined synthetic parts, perhaps explaining Roland's apparent unbreakable nature. A pair of bright blue synthetic eyes gazed at Garrus and the scream that erupted from Roland's throat gave way to a metallic grinding sound, one that made the turian grit his teeth in pain as it bore its way right into his very being. Here Garrus was, faced with something completely unnatural. It chilled him to the core and fuelled his determination to see it die even more.

The synthetic endoskeleton that was Roland Halverson stumbled and flailed as the flames ate away at it but it still did not die. Standing up, Garrus loaded a high explosive round into his grenade launcher. He had seen enough to fuel his nightmares for the rest of his life. Garrus pulled the trigger on the launcher and was knocked backwards by the concussive force of the explosion. Pieces of Roland's endoskeleton were sent flying, some landing around the turian. As Garrus regained his senses, a brief look at where Roland had once stood revealed nothing but a few large chunks of scorched synthetic parts.

However, one particular item of interest had landed by Garrus. It was the suitcase, scorched and dented but otherwise intact. Picking it up, Garrus stood up and brushed himself down. He would never get over what he had seen of Roland's true nature. His gaze went to a particular part of Roland that had survived the explosion. Stepping over to it, Garrus stowed his grenade launcher and used his free hand to pick it up.

It was Roland's skull and it was burnt in places but otherwise in perfect condition. It was quite heavy and bore all the semblances of a human skull save for its shiny dull blue-grey metal with its reflective surfaces and bright blue eyes. The glow in the eyes had died, hinting that Roland Halverson was well and truly dead. Garrus tucked the metal skull under one arm and turned to Kelias, who was slowly rising to her feet.

Kelias looked at him and then at the flaming mess that was around them. She looked just the way Garrus had left her before being captured by Kaslin. She smiled at him but Garrus was in too much of a grim mood to smile back. He was still trying to work out Roland's true nature, remembering something that the human had said about a trip through the Omega-4 relay. Whatever he had found through that relay had sent him back as something unnatural.

Kelias frowned at Roland's remains, confused as to what they were. She noticed the lack of Roland Halverson and returned her gaze to Garrus.

"What happened to Roland?" She asked.

Garrus shrugged, before saying:

"He couldn't handle the heat."


	26. Bloodstained Glass Windows

**Chapter XXV: Blood Stained Glass Windows**

It was the dead of the night and the outskirts of the settlement were quiet, the majority of the nightlife occurring further into town. It had been a long night and Garrus Vakarian really needed some sleep but he knew he would not be getting some anytime soon. There were still a few things to work out, including the deal he had made with Kaslin Kevkas. The shootout at the hangar had only been the start of it: it was the next bit that Garrus was unsure about, since he did not trust Kaslin and could never bring himself to do so. Kaslin was a mercenary and in charge of the Dark Talons mercenary organization. He was criminal scum to put it lightly, hence why Garrus disliked him. Even so, he would be better off seeing the deal they had made through since it would make everything else a lot easier.

Garrus had stowed Roland's synthetic skull into a bag as a sort of trophy. The suitcase containing the time manipulation device he had set onto the floor near him, placing the bag containing the skull next to it. At his hip was the grenade launcher that had helped him through the fight at the hangar as well as a submachine gun capable of spewing bullets forth at a high rate of fire. He was standing near the altar of a derelict church on the outskirts of the settlement. One of Kaslin's men had told him to bring the suitcase and Kelias here so that a deal could be arranged. Garrus supposed it was better than meeting Kaslin within his heavily guarded estate since if something did go wrong there, Garrus would have more trouble getting out alive. Here, it was neutral ground.

The church itself was one built for one of the many human religions in existence and this particular church had been under renovation for some time now. Scaffolding was up on the walls and near the ceiling while empty cans of paint had been left lying around, along with a few power tools. There were some stained glass windows etched with intricate and colourful images from the mythology behind the human religion the church had been constructed for. Numerous candles were lit and set out across the altar while above the light fixtures cast a dry glow upon the church's interior. There was a large statue of the Virgin Mary to one side of the altar, although looking at it now Garrus did not recognize the religious figure. Human religions were not his sort of thing. In fact, he had barely given religion much thought. There was not much time for faith in his line of work. Besides, if killing was indeed bad he would probably go to Hell for all the killing he had done over the years.

Standing alongside him was Kelias. She seemed quite calm as did Garrus, the pair of them two tired to really get worked up about anything. For all the doubts Garrus had about ensuring the deal ran smoothly, there were plenty of uncertainties the turian held especially when it came to Kaslin.

He picked up the bag containing Roland's skull and peered inside. Garrus was still struggling to work out just what Roland had been, whether he had been synthetic or some sort of synthetic-organic hybrid. And just how had Roland made fire with his mind? The ability to do that was unheard of. Whatever Roland was, it did not matter: he was dead now. He would not be a problem to anyone anymore. Garrus put the bag down, thinking of keeping the skull as a trophy. It would also pay off to bring it back to the _Normandy_ for study. Something had changed Roland Halverson since it was logical to assume that he had once been human. Whatever had done it to him must have had access to some very advanced technology.

The inside of the church was relatively quiet. There seemed to be no one else here, although the lightened candles on the altar behind them indicated otherwise. Whoever else was here was nowhere in sight. Garrus and Kelias were alone inside the church.

Having been waiting here for about five minutes, Garrus began to grow impatient. He shifted where he stood, unable to work out what he should do. No doubt some of Kaslin's men were on their way here, they were just taking their time. Garrus turned to Kelias, meeting her gaze. She smiled at him.

"Once this is over," she said without giving him a chance to speak, "What are you going to do?"

Garrus frowned, thinking carefully about this. What would he do? He would find Shepard, he would reapply for Spectre training…although most of this was just throwing ideas around. He did not actually know how exactly he would do it, especially since he would have to survive tonight first. He realized then that he was in a bit of a dilemma since Kelias obviously liked him, yet he could not help but think of Shepard every time he laid eyes on the female turian.

"Find Shepard," Garrus said simply. He noticed the smile drop from Kelias' features, her face reverting to an annoyed frown.

"I thought—"

"You thought wrong," Garrus replied, "You were probably right about what you said earlier, though, how I'm infatuated with her. As much as you're attractive and everything, the only woman on my mind right now is Shepard."

Kelias shook her head in incredulity, finding what Garrus was saying a bit hard to fathom.

"You like a human more than you like me?" She asked.

Garrus did not see the point in shying away from the truth any longer.

"Yes," he said quite bluntly, "I do prefer a human over you. How's that old human saying go? _'Love works in mysterious ways'_?"

Kelias was silent. Garrus shrugged, trying to work out what she was thinking. She was annoyed, this much was evident from the frown on her scarred features. She had wanted him from the moment she had laid eyes on him and instead she had found that her dream man had feelings for someone from an entirely different species…no wonder she was pissed off. Garrus figured that she would have to live with it.

Coming from outside was the sound of a car pulling up. Garrus and Kelias shifted their gazes towards the church's entrance, watching as a trio of armed mercenaries walked in moments later. The one in the lead was krogan and wearing no helmet, revealing an aged and scarred reptilian face that had obviously seen a lot during the past few hundred years.

Garrus stepped forwards towards the krogan, keeping the suitcase gripped in his left hand as he walked. The krogan stopped and so did the turian, leaving about ten metres of space between them in the aisle that ran through the middle of the church. On either side of them were wooden stalls, although some had been removed during the church's renovation. Parts of the floor were in the process of being replaced, with sections of carpet ripped up to reveal the rubber matting underneath. Garrus set the suitcase on the floor in front of him, his gaze going to the krogan.

"Is this what you want?" Garrus asked.

The krogan looked at Garrus, sizing him up as if expecting to get into a fight with him. The turian would not be surprised if a fight did start but decided to try and get through this exchange without a shot being fired.

"And the female," the krogan said, nodding towards Kelias. She stepped forwards, stopping alongside Garrus with an uncertain gaze on her features.

"Yes, but where does that leave me?" Garrus asked. He was not going to simply hand Kelias over since that would be a stupid thing to do.

"The boss doesn't need you," the krogan said, "He just wants the package and the female turian."

"That wasn't part of the deal," Garrus said, an angered edge coming into his voice, "I want to be ensured of Kelias' complete safety. That means I need to be with her the entire time. I'm not about to just hand her over and leave since there's no telling what you might do to her."  
The krogan regarded Garrus with a slightly annoyed glance before looking at the female turian. He gazed at both turians, trying to work out what to do about them. It struck Garrus that Kaslin was either stupid or planning something when he sent a krogan to try and strike a peaceful deal. For one, krogans were not exactly known for their negotiating skills. For another, Garrus realized that Kaslin was already trying to dupe him over the deal they had made. To him, Garrus was just an unnecessary factor. He only needed the package and Kelias, nothing or no one else.

"Kaslin also told me that I could kill you if you disagreed with the terms," the krogan said. As if on cue, both of the mercenaries with him pulled out their assault rifles. Garrus immediately removed his submachine gun, pointing it straight at the krogan's head. His heart had begun to beat wildly as the true extent of his situation began to dawn on him. The krogan was unfazed by having a gun pointed in his direction. Then again, krogans were not easily fazed.

Garrus had been right to expect something like this. Turians like Kaslin could not be trusted, even if betrayal went against turian customs. Kaslin was just a bare-faced backstabber who deserved to die. It struck Garrus that he had done a hell of a lot of killing in the last week and now he had another person set in his crosshairs. He just had to get past this idiot krogan and the goons with him.

Kelias had begun to back away slowly, realizing that she was in way over her head. Violence had never really been her thing, after all. The krogan removed a large shotgun from where it was attached to the lower back of his armour. One of the mercenaries with him began to speak into his radio, only for Garrus to swivel slightly and fire a volley of submachine gun fire. The standoff ended as quickly as it had begun, with part of the mercenary's head exploding into a bloody mess.

Before the dead human mercenary's body had even hit the floor the krogan and the turian mercenary with him had started shooting. Garrus dived to one side as the bullets flew, the krogan's shotgun blasting a hole in the carpeted floor. Garrus went sliding a short distance and he kept his finger on his submachine gun's trigger as he went. The turian mercenary spun and fell, dark blue blood shooting out in geysers from a hole that had been torn into his throat.

Garrus came to an abrupt stop behind a set of wooden stalls. The krogan blasted his shotgun his way again, the pellets blowing a hole through the wood and sending splinters flying everywhere. The turian began to crawl for better cover, keeping his head down as the krogan began to walk forwards, firing his shotgun again and again. Each shot sent a shower of splinters of wood or fluffy pieces of carpet flying around him.

For once, Garrus had the feeling that he was in way over his head. Even so, he made his way to a spot behind a pillar to the side of the church and stood up, being forced to duck as a bunch of shotgun pellets blasted a hole in the side of the pillar. The krogan seemed to be enjoying himself as he paced forwards, firing his shotgun again and again in quick succession.

"Come out, you dumb fucking turian!" The krogan shouted. Garrus looked to where Kelias was, seeing that she was crouched behind the altar, looking scared out of her wits. The krogan stopped at the front row of seats, aiming his shotgun towards the pillar Garrus was crouched behind and firing off another few shots. Garrus ducked as shotgun pellets slammed into the pillar, cement dust flying into his face and eyes. He stuck his gun wielding hand around the pillar and blindly fired in the krogan's general direction, submachine gun rounds ripping apart more of the wooden seats and glancing off of the krogan's kinetic barriers.

"I'll make your death quick!" The krogan yelled, enjoying himself, "Actually, no…no I won't."

Garrus backed away slightly, ducking behind a short wall that ran along the front section of the room and towards a doorway that presumably lead to another room. The krogan resumed shooting, blasting chunks out of the wall over Garrus' head as the turian kept low behind the wall. The krogan could not actually see Garrus where he was now, a fact that the turian could use to his advantage.

Garrus picked up a fist-sized chunk of plaster and flung it towards the front of the altar. Involuntarily the krogan's gaze followed it, allowing Garrus to stand up from cover and open fire with the submachine gun that he gripped in his right hand. The withering fire ate away at the krogan's shields within seconds, forcing the big reptile to dive for cover. Unfortunately for the krogan, he was not as fast as he would have liked to be. Submachine gun rounds punched holes into his armour and perforated his thick scaly hide. A pained grunt let Garrus know that he had hurt the krogan.

Stepping over the short wall, Garrus started walking towards the wounded krogan. He kept the trigger on his submachine gun pulled as he went, emptying about thirty rounds into the fallen reptile before he was satisfied that the krogan was dead. Stopping over the krogan's fallen corpse, Garrus made sure he was dead by putting the submachine gun against the krogan's head and firing a shot. Blood and brains splattered outwards and across the carpeted floor, presumably going on to leave a nasty stain on the expensive red carpet.

Standing back up, Garrus became aware of the sounds of several cars pulling up outside. He hurried over to one of the church's front windows, peering out into the night and finding that there were about six four-door cars parked outside. Out of each came about half a dozen armed Dark Talon mercenaries and some quick multiplication put the estimated total of armed mercenaries to thirty-six. Garrus stepped away from the window as the mercenaries began to spread out.

"Shit," he said simply. He turned around and started towards the altar as Kelias emerged from behind it.

"Is he dead?" She asked, stepping towards him and nodding towards the dead krogan.

"Yeah, but there's a hell of a lot more of them outside," Garrus replied before adding, "Well, none of them are krogans but they've all got guns and I think they're here for us."

Kelias seemed surprised to hear this. Garrus was not at all surprised and simply bent his knees, reaching down to pick up the dead krogan's shotgun. He stood back up and threw it to Kelias, who caught it. She looked at it with some bemusement before returning her gaze to Garrus. The male turian checked his submachine gun, bending over and plucking the dead krogan's sidearm from his waist holster. With the pistol in his left hand and the submachine gun in his right, Garrus began steeling himself for the imminent onslaught.

"What are we going to do?" Kelias asked, "We can't just shoot our way out…"

Garrus frowned when he heard this comment.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Maybe we should just give them the package," Kelias said, nodding towards where the package in question was set on the floor, "I can get it to work for them easily enough…"

"No," Garrus interrupted, shaking his head, "We're not giving them what they want. We can't let scumbags like Kaslin get their hands on what's in that package…whatever it is that's in there." He still was not entirely sure just what the true nature of the device within the package was but he would prefer to not have it fall into Kaslin's hands.

"I'm not going to throw my life away over a stupid device," Kelias said, her tone growing increasingly annoyed.

"And what would you prefer to do?" Garrus snapped. Finally the stress of the situation was getting to him: faced with insurmountable odds once again, it was hard not to get a bit stressed out. "Would you prefer to go outside and give yourself up? Once they have what they need from you, they'll kill you just as soon as they'd kill me."

Kelias had fallen silent, looking somewhat perturbed by Garrus' outburst. The male turian sighed and simply shook his head.

"You can't trust Kaslin," Garrus continued, his tone a little lighter, "He's a barefaced backstabber. He's the sort of man who deserves what's coming to him." With that, he changed a setting on his pistol in order for it to fire tungsten-tipped rounds that would have better success at piercing the armour the mercenaries wore.

There was movement at the corner of Garrus' gaze: he swivelled around and saw a turian mercenary climbing into view at one of the church's side windows. Garrus aimed his submachine gun at the mercenary and pulled the trigger, a withering spray of bullets shattering the window and sending the mercenary flying backwards and out of view.

His heart racing, Garrus lowered the submachine gun. _One down_, he thought absently, _a whole lot more to go_. He had been in tougher situations before but every time he thought this something had to happen to complicate his current situation. For once, he decided to quit resting on his laurels. All those other tough situations had been with Shepard by his side. This time around all he had was Kelias by his side and she was certainly far from a turian super soldier. Looking at her now, she seemed mighty uncertain about the shotgun she had been given. She fiddled anxiously with its more intricate workings, having crouched low to the floor when Garrus had gunned down the mercenary at the window.

Garrus' gaze went towards the front entrance. The wooden double doors were kicked open and about three Dark Talon mercenaries came running inside, weapons held high. Garrus quite literally leapt into action as the bullets started flying, jumping backwards over a pulled-up section of the carpet while simultaneously firing both his weapons at the mercenaries. They spun and fell as Garrus came to a painful landing behind a row of wooden seating. Kelias was crouched by some of the scaffolding that went up to the ceiling, her shotgun raised as she pumped off shot after shot at the pair of mercenaries that came running into the church through a doorway in the far corner near the altar. Chunks of the back wall were blasted away while both mercenaries were cut down, their bodies tumbling forwards from their own momentum.

Garrus remained lying on his back, trying to gather his bearings. Up above was some scaffolding, used by the painters to paint the ceiling. At this moment it was populated by a submachine gun wielding turian whose attention was focused on Kelias, his weapon coming up to fire. Garrus let him have it with both his pistol and submachine gun, emptying bullets into the wooden bottom of the scaffolding and tearing holes through it. The turian mercenary stumbled and fell as several rounds perforated him, sending him over the scaffolding and landing onto the floor a short distance ahead of Garrus with a dull_ thump!_

Kelias stood up and went for cover behind the altar as another pair of mercenaries came running out of a door above and onto the scaffolding it opened onto. One of them had a shotgun and proceeded to fire shot after shot at Kelias as she went for cover, the pellets blasting away several of the candles that were set upon the altar. Garrus stood up and shifted his aim to the pair of mercenaries on the scaffolding ahead, opening fire with both of his weapons and cutting the pair down with ease. Bullets whizzed by and blasted pieces out of the wooden seating near him, a few passing by him too close for comfort.

Garrus turned around and saw that several more mercenaries were charging into the church through the front entrance. He opened fire at the oncoming mercenaries as a few of them went for cover behind pillars and scaffolding. A few of the mercenaries fell while the others opened fire, forcing Garrus to step back behind a set of scaffolding. Some distance behind him was an open doorway that went into an adjoining room: two mercenaries, a human and a turian, came running out of this doorway. Garrus stepped behind a nearby pillar as the human mercenary came running past, stopping by the opposite side of the pillar in order to start shooting at Kelias. Garrus used his pistol to blast the unsuspecting mercenary in the arm, making him scream and drop his rifle. The turian mercenary nearby turned his attention towards Garrus but the younger turian was faster, pulling the wounded human mercenary in front of him as a shield. The turian mercenary raised his rifle and emptied several shots in Garrus' direction. The human mercenary in Garrus' grip jerked involuntarily as each round connected before he slumped lifelessly in the turian's grip. Garrus raised his pistol past the human mercenary and fired off a few shots, one of which blasted away part of the turian mercenary's head.

Letting the human mercenary drop out of his grip, Garrus turned around. Kelias had proceeded to open fire at the mercenaries flowing into the church through the front entrance. She failed to notice the pair of mercenaries coming into view in the doorway ahead, just past the altar. Garrus saw them and cut them both down, his submachine gun finally overheating from all of the shooting.

He tossed the weapon aside and in one fluid movement had picked up another pistol from a fallen mercenary, keeping one in each hand as he started around the scaffolding. There were several mercenaries charging into the church, scattering throughout with weapons firing. A near deafening explosion erupted from somewhere close to Garrus, the concussive force knocking him onto the floor. A quick look to the left revealed that a human mercenary wielding a grenade launcher was nearby. He went to pull the trigger on it again but Garrus was faster, placing a pistol round right between the man's eyes, smashing his helmet's visor. He crumpled onto the floor into a heap.

Kelias was pinned down behind the altar, rifle rounds and shotgun blasts ripping into the stone altar's front. A stray shotgun blast blew the statue of the Virgin Mary into half, hundreds of ceramic pieces flying outwards.

Garrus started for the grenade launcher dropped by the mercenary he had just killed, ignoring the bullets that pounded into the floor around him and blew pieces through the wooden seats ahead of him. However, a lone figure appeared in the front doorway of the church. Garrus recognized him immediately: it was Kaslin, outfitted in a set of black and grey armour augmented with kinetic shields.

"Garrus!" He roared angrily over the noise of the weapons fire. In an almost impossibly quick movement he had pulled his sidearm from its holster, raising it and firing.

Garrus felt the bullet hit him in the side of the stomach, puncturing his armour suit with ease. The pain was intense, if only momentarily, with a white hot stinging pain letting ease to a dull but profound throbbing. He tumbled onto the floor, dropping both pistols as his hands went for his stomach. In his mind part of him was telling him to give up, that he was going to die here and now. Most of his mind was telling him to keep going, if only to see this through. Kaslin had to die and Garrus would not deny himself the pleasure of being the one to kill him.

Picking up a pistol, Garrus rolled onto his side and began firing at the mercenaries up ahead as they began to move forwards in an attempt to encroach on his position. He cut a few of them down while the others went back into cover. Kaslin had stepped behind a pillar, waiting for a lull in the shooting.

Despite the ooze of dark blue blood seeping from Garrus' stomach wound, he slowly rose onto his feet. Quickly he stepped up to a fallen mercenary, picking up the dead man's assault rifle while tossing aside the pistol the turian had been holding in his right hand. He brought the rifle into a firing position and pulled the trigger, spraying the rifle rounds across the positions of the mercenaries ahead. A few of them fell, putting a brief lull in the shooting that allowed Garrus to get to the fallen grenade launcher that lay on the floor a short distance away.

Kaslin stepped from behind the pillar again, firing off a shot that hit Kelias in the shoulder. She fell backwards behind the altar, screaming in both pain and anger. Garrus managed a quick glance back at her to make sure she was still alive before he picked up the grenade launcher. Within seconds he had it aimed at Kaslin and once he was sure of a hit he pulled the trigger.

Kaslin dived to the floor as the grenade launcher fired. The projectile itself collided with the pillar near him, blasting it to pieces in a bright flash of fire. Kaslin was knocked aside while a few of the nearby mercenaries were blasted away, one of them being blown into several pieces.

There was no keeping Kaslin down, it seemed. He stood back up, his armour scorched and burnt and dented but otherwise he seemed unharmed. Garrus proceeded to fire the grenade launcher again but the weapon was empty. He grunted in annoyance and tossed it aside, quickly diving to the floor as Kaslin began shooting. Garrus grabbed the pistol he had dropped earlier and fired over the top of the row of wooden seating in front of him. Kaslin ducked but otherwise kept walking forwards, even as several more mercenaries came running into the church.

Kelias was back up much to Kaslin's surprise. She stood up from behind the altar, shotgun raised. With a single pull of the trigger she sent Kaslin flying backwards, his stomach armour peppered with buckshot. He fell into a heap in the centre of the aisle, dead.

In the midst of the confusion Garrus failed to notice Kelias race to where the suitcase lay. She picked it up and started back to the altar while Garrus kept the remaining few mercenaries at bay. For once he felt relieved: with Roland and Kaslin gone, things could finally return to normal. He heard the sound of another vehicle pulling up and for one horrible moment he thought it was more mercenaries: far from it, in fact.

A welcome sight appeared in the doorway, one he had not expected to ever see again: Commander Katelyn Shepard, outfitted in a suit of grey-brown Scorpion armour stood in the doorway, a submachine gun in her grip. Her gaze met with Garrus' and one of the most noticeable looks of relief appeared on her features. It quickly disappeared as the few remaining mercenaries became aware of her presence. Garrus helped her to finish them off, but the joy he felt at seeing her again was short-lived.

All he wanted to do was embrace her, ask her why she was here on Hallian…instead, what Garrus wanted to do with Shepard would have to wait. His attention was diverted towards the female turian standing at the altar, the suitcase open before her. She was fiddling with the device's inner workings, a bright orange light casting an eerie glow upon her face from within the suitcase.

"Kelias," Garrus said, turning towards her, "What are you doing?"

"What I always wanted to do," she said.

Something inside Garrus seemed to piece together just what she meant by this. For the briefest of instants, the turian was enraged. He had just been through hell and back for that woman and this was how she rewarded him? Up ahead, Shepard was starting into the church, followed by Kaidan and Wrex.

"What?" Garrus exclaimed. His emotions were a mix of rage and confusion: just what the hell was Kelias doing?

"Damn it Garrus, don't you see?" Kelias gave the turian equivalent of a smile. "You gave me the chance to escape from Roland, you gave me the opportunity to use this marvellous technology for myself…" She chuckled and Garrus suddenly felt sick. Either it was his bleeding stomach or the fact that Kelias was betraying him.

He raised his pistol, aiming it towards her. His grip was shaking and he knew that deep down, he would not be able to shoot her. Shepard stopped a short distance away, a confused look crumpling her features.

"Garrus, where the hell have you been? What the hell happened here? And who the hell is that?" She nodded towards Kelias as she delivered the last question.

"The power to travel through time, to relive some of the greatest events of history, to see the future…It's worth more than anything, including the feelings I have for you," Kelias said. Her eyes had taken on a glassy, almost crazed look. Garrus told himself to shoot but his gun wielding hand would not respond. He steadied his gun wielding hand with his other hand but it did little to stop the shaking.

"You backstabbing bitch…" Garrus spat, barely able to contain his rage. After all that they had been through together and Kelias was repaying him with this? Betrayal? Two betrayals in the one day was simply too much. Garrus began to feel woozy, presumably because of the amount of blood he was losing.

The orange light from the suitcase began to envelop Kelias. Garrus watched on, stunned by the way it seemed to envelop her frame. She held out an inviting hand towards him, smiling as she did so.

"You could come with me," she said, "We could explore history together…"

Part of Garrus wanted to accept the offer, to leave this whole harsh galaxy behind. But he looked back at Shepard and realized then where he belonged. Shepard may have been human, but love knew no bounds or something similar if Garrus remembered the old human saying correctly. He would be accepting no offer from Kelias.

Instead, he returned his gaze to the female turian and lowered the aim with his pistol. He fired once, twice, three times…each round slammed into the suitcase and immediately the light began to shimmer more violently, as if it was unsure of itself. Kelias looked on in horror and screamed, even as her very form seemed to fade away and become transparent. In a brilliant white flash, she was gone and so was the suitcase. In their place was nothing but oddly tingly air, as if some unseen energy flowed through the space where they had been. Slowly, Garrus lowered the pistol. What had he just done? Had he killed her? Where was she now?

He hung his head low. Shepard stepped up alongside him and put a soothing hand on his shoulder. Garrus looked up and turned to her, his gaze meeting with those striking blue eyes of hers.

"Who was she?" Shepard asked.

After a moment's pause, Garrus simply shook his head.

"She was no one, Shepard," he said, "No one at all."


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_I have wondered about you  
__Where will you be when this is through?  
__If all goes as planned  
__Will you redeem my life again?  
_-From the song "M4 Part II" by Faunts

* * *

With the back wall comprised of a large vista of a dying star set against the background of space and the room before cast in a harsh red light, Sarah Turner was unable to help herself from feeling a little uneasy. She did feel some relief, however, from the fact that her job as one of Kaslin Kevkas' right hand mercenaries was over. That prick of a turian was dead and his organization on the planet of Hallian was a shambles. There were just a few things that Sarah's _real_ boss wanted to clear up, primarily to do with the two turians who had killed Kaslin and Roland Halverson. Sarah herself was still somewhat clueless as to what was going on but what she had uncovered in recent days had piqued her interest.

The Illusive Man was in his usual attire, seated in an expensive swivel chair with the view of the dying red star behind him. It outlined him in an almost sinister light, helping to make him look suitably intimidating yet mysterious at the same time. For the darkness that was cast upon him, his cybernetic blue eyes stood out profoundly.

Sarah was but a mere hologram in the room since hardly anyone actually got the chance to meet the Illusive Man in the flesh. He was smart, the Illusive Man, since for all the power he had he did have plenty of enemies. There were numerous people of all races who would just love to meet him in the flesh and promptly kill him.

For the last two months Sarah had been working undercover for Kaslin Kevkas, having been sent to investigate Roland Halverson. It was no secret that the Illusive Man was interested in Roland and the secrets he held. With Roland and Kaslin dead, Sarah's undercover work was over for now.

The Illusive Man regarded the young woman carefully, a cigarette held between two of the fingers on his left hand. Sarah had always wondered why people even bothered smoking in this day and age since it did have the potential to completely ruin your lungs. There were treatments for that sort of thing but often smoking was not worth the trouble it brought. Treatments cost money and a set of artificially grown lungs even more. Then again, the Illusive Man probably had all the money he would ever need.

"Sarah Turner, it's been a while since your last report," the Illusive Man said, his accent distinctly American, "As I recall, you had little to tell me then. Now, however, it seems that you have a fair amount to disclose. I've already read the reports you sent to me and I have seen the remains of Roland Halverson." The Illusive Man paused for a moment, puffing gently on his cigarette before continuing: "I am sure that you are interested in determining the true nature of Mr. Halverson, as much as I am."

Sarah simply nodded. She had no idea about what she could say and there was something about the Illusive Man she did not like. Whatever it was, she would always be quite anxious when talking to him. Finally she did think of something, speaking before the Illusive Man had a chance to continue talking:

"Roland wasn't human," Sarah said abruptly, "And for all the trouble he's caused, I think I deserve to know just what he was…that is, if you know."

"I do know this, Sarah: Roland was human once, until several years ago. He was also a test subject in one of this organization's many projects, if not an early one and a flawed one," the Illusive Man replied, unfazed by Sarah's obvious irritation, "The project in question has since been scrapped, but I feel that for your excellent work you do have a right to know what it was trying to achieve. It was a project to do with biotics."

"That's it?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not finished, Sarah," the Illusive Man said. He paused for a moment, thinking about what to say. "Roland Halverson was a biotic and a powerful one at that. What we did to him was alter those abilities in such a way that they were no longer genuinely biotic. Instead, he developed the ability to create and control fire with his mind. The popular term is 'pyrokinesis'."

"That's crazy," Sarah said bluntly, unable to quite believe what she was hearing. The Illusive Man looked as serious as he often did and Sarah quickly realized that he was not lying.

"The experiments conducted on Roland made him insane," the Illusive Man said, "And he escaped the laboratories about eight years ago. He was delusional, he thought he was a war hero, a Commander, a naval officer…However, the delusions he had were partly real: he had begun seeing visions of the Reapers and of Prothean beacons. He actually found a Prothean beacon on Hallian, as you made clear in your reports. His exposure to the beacon simply fuelled his delusions and somehow, it is not known how exactly, but he developed a means to send a ship through the Omega-4 relay. He returned from this trip about a year ago. And now, as you have said in your reports, he returned no longer human."

The Illusive Man paused, letting Sarah digest what had been said. It sounded so crazy yet there was no way the Illusive Man could be making this all up. Sarah had only ever seen Roland a few times and had not interacted with him at all. She had found his remains at the spaceport on Hallian.

"We believe that he brought back with him advanced alien technology, some of it clearly Reaper in origin," the Illusive Man continued, "And there must have been something he brought back with him that indoctrinated people to his beliefs, which would explain why he had his own loyal and personal army. Whatever he found beyond the Omega-4 relay, it is something to investigate. And why he returned intent on having a turian scientist build him some sort of device using Prothean technology remains to be seen. You have to remember that it was Colonel Sommers who acquired that technology in the first place and decided to stupidly run away with it. Roland obviously went after him and succeeded in attaining it. Why the turian scientist was needed remains to be seen."

"The scientist, Kelias Lalitherax…" Sarah trailed off, realizing how stupid it would sound. "She, uh…she's gone. She just disappeared. You told me you wanted me to bring her in, but I can't since she's just disappeared without a trace, along with the device."

The Illusive Man seemed to narrow his gaze but it was hard to tell in the dim light.

"The turian scientist is no matter, nor is the device," the Illusive Man said, "If both are really gone, there is nothing we can do. I've already organized agents to start searching for Kelias but as you say, it seems that she simply disappeared. However, there is something we may be able to gain from all of this."

"And what's that?"

The Illusive Man took a moment to answer, probably enjoying how he had left Sarah hanging. He took a puff on his cigarette, blowing smoke that wafted its way past his face and faded the higher it went.

"The other turian, Garrus Vakarian," the Illusive Man said, "We may be able to use him in the future. And Roland's remains will aid us in our cybernetics research. So, this whole thing did not fail miserably. We have gained a potential asset and some advanced technology. I have already sent agents to secure the beacon on Hallian and some of the technology Roland brought back with him from beyond the Omega-4 relay."

Sarah nodded. She guessed that she had done a decent enough job, even if she was not really responsible for all that had occurred.

"Just how are you going to 'use' the other turian?" Sarah asked, curious, "I'm pretty sure he's more in the dark about what's going on than we are. He couldn't possibly tell us anything."

"Hence why I have sent some agents to keep watch on him," the Illusive Man said, "And his friend Commander Shepard as well. We can use both of them. As for you, Sarah, I already have another mission for you."

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" She asked.

"There's a dead turian by the name of Kynarus Vakarian," the Illusive Man said, "Colonel Sommers killed him. Some rivals of ours are after his body. Ensure that they don't get it…"

* * *

Garrus Vakarian sat alone in his quarters at his personal computer. It was the morning of a new day, although on board a ship it was hard to tell just what time of day it was if it were not for the many clocks that were scattered around. It had been about a week since he and Shepard had been reunited. He had told her everything that had happened: his seventeen days on the remote jungle world with only Colonel Sommers for company. He had told her about the hallucinations that he had had of her and of his past enemies. He regretted killing Sommers in cold blood, even if the man had been crazy.

Garrus had told her of Roland Halverson and Kelias. The turian voiced his regret about falling under Kelias' spell since he knew now that she had been manipulating him the whole time for her own ends. Even the part where he had had sex with her had been part of her scheme. Shepard had simply told him not to worry, that Kelias had been a "manipulative bitch" and that anyone could have fallen under her control. Still, Garrus would never be able to forgive himself for what had happened.

Currently the _Normandy_ and its crew had been sent to investigate missing Alliance ships and possible geth activity in the arse-end of nowhere. Garrus had little to do while the ship patrolled the sector and so he had resorted to spending time by himself, still wracked with guilt over what had happened with Kelias. He found it hard to face Shepard anymore, even if she did not seem too bothered by what had happened. Why would she? She was not the one having to feel the guilt and live with what they had done. Garrus still felt angry at Kelias' betrayal and considered himself a fool if he had not been able to see through her lies from the very beginning.

Sifting through his personal messages, Garrus found one that sparked his interest considerably. It was from C-Sec and the turian clicked it open, not knowing what to expect.

_To Garrus Vakarian,_

_In regards to your application for Spectre candidacy, it is my pleasure to notify you that your application has been ACCEPTED and that preliminary testing begins three weeks from now. In order for your candidacy to be guaranteed, you must report to C-Sec Academy in person for preliminary testing on the future date attached to this message._

_Congratulations on your successful application and it is with great expectations that we await your response. Judging by your past records, you are more than likely to succeed in becoming a Spectre._

Garrus felt his heart skip a beat. He had only applied a week ago, when he had first returned to the _Normandy_ and had left Hallian. He knew his placing as a Spectre was guaranteed, especially with such a speedy response from C-Sec. Funnily enough, the turian counsellor himself had signed the message. And Garrus could attribute his success to Shepard: she had showed him what it meant to be a Spectre, to make a difference in the galaxy and to get the job done no matter what the cost. He would need to thank her when he saw her next as well as say his farewells.

The other messages he had were mostly just spam, ranging from human email scams to advertisements for penis enlargement pills from salarian scientists. Garrus began to delete the spam emails in question and was in the process of doing so when the door into his room slid open.

He swivelled around in his chair, realizing that he was only in his undergarments. He had no time to put anything else on but he was relieved to see that it was Shepard. She was in the standard blue Alliance uniform and she smiled when she saw what little Garrus was wearing.

"Uh…Shepard…I…" Garrus trailed off. "Damn, I knew I should have locked the door."

"Don't worry about it," Shepard said. The door slid shut behind her and immediately the silence of the room became quite profound. Garrus suddenly felt a bit nervous, especially when it came to her. The guilt he felt had begun to return and every time he looked at her he could not help but think of Kelias. He hated himself for that.

"You wanted something?" Garrus asked, standing up, "Or did you just come in here in the hope of seeing me in my underwear?"

"Both reasons seem true enough," Shepard replied with a slight grin. She took a step forwards, her gaze scanning the room. Her eyes fell onto the "trophy" on the shelf above Garrus' desk. She stepped over to it and picked it up, eyeing the metal skull carefully.

"You still have this?" Shepard asked, holding up Roland Halverson's synthetic skull, "Are you sure it's safe?"

"It'll help remind me," Garrus said, his gaze going to the skull and its empty metal blue eyes, "That when it comes to trusting someone, you have to be careful, no matter how nice they seem or how much they might like you. I thought I already knew that, but I guess that when it comes to women I'm a complete sucker." He smiled as he said this, although it was a half-hearted effort. Shepard noticed this and frowned.

Shepard set the skull back on the shelf and returned her gaze to the turian. She stepped towards him, standing only inches from his muscular, scaly frame.

"You've been avoiding me for the past week," Shepard said, "You told me what happened after I found you on Hallian but since then we've barely spoken. I was hoping I would be able to spend more time with you, help you iron out whatever apprehension you have about what happened…"

"It's not that easy, Shepard," Garrus said. He found himself putting a taloned hand to her face, brushing away the few strands of auburn hair that had fallen across her forehead. Their eyes met but Garrus quickly broke the gaze, retracting his hand and turning around.

"We rushed into it last time," he said, "Besides, you can find better than me. Human men, not turian. You can do better than a bitter turian who can't control what's in his pants."

"Is this what's wrong?" Shepard asked, "You slept with that bitch of a turian and since she betrayed you, you don't want to have anything to do with women anymore? Do you think I'm going to betray you?"

Garrus began to pace up and down the room, unable to control the conflicting thoughts in his mind. He had no idea what he wanted to do or why, there was simply too much on his mind. Shepard was here, she would listen to him…but what would he tell her? That he doesn't trust her? That he doesn't trust anyone?

"Damn it, Shepard, I just need some more time alone," Garrus said, "There's part of me that's saying that you're making a mistake…with me. I'm not the man you want. I'm just a diversion."

Shepard simply stepped forwards and silenced him by putting her mouth to hers. Her tongue found its way inside his mouth, moving against the slick walls within. He was barely aware that she had her hands around him, one of them at the back of his head as it traced the ridges of his neck crest.

Garrus broke from the kiss, noticing that Shepard's blue eyes were filled with that fire he had so often seen in them.

"You're just going to have to divert me again, I guess," Shepard said, "we have a few hours before we reach the last known location of one of the ships we're searching for. That leaves a few hours for you and me to spend together." She paused and started for the door, leaving the turian wondering just what the hell she was doing.

"Where are you going?" He asked, frowning and quite annoyed, "I thought—"

"Relax," Shepard said as the door opened, "I'll be back in a few minutes. I just have to take a shit."

"Oh…"

With that, Shepard left the room and the door slid shut behind her. Garrus was left alone once again, this time with his heart racing in his chest. However, a flashing notification method on his computer's screen caught his attention.

He sat down in the chair at the desk and clicked open the new message, finding that it was from an unknown sender. He felt a chill run down his spine as he read the message, realizing then just who it was from:

_Garrus,_

_I loved you Garrus. Didn't you see that? I loved you. I wanted you. We could have travelled together and instead you left me for that Shepard bitch. Well, I've got news for you, you fuck. You thought I was dead, didn't you? That I had disappeared and that you didn't have to worry about me anymore? Yeah, right. I thought you were smarter than that but I guess handsome guys like you have to have a flaw somewhere, huh?_

_The funny thing about time travel is that what's only been a week for you has been years for me. I've learned things, Garrus. You could even say that I've been upgraded. I tried to change the past but it cannot be changed…I tried to make you join me but I've seen the same things played out so many times in a multitude of different ways but it's always ended the same. You betray me, you actually try to KILL ME. All these attempts have given me time to think and perfect my craft. You destroyed the time manipulation device and sent me hurtling into the past to set everything up again. I met some new friends as well while I was there and they told me everything and gave me a new mission, a new purpose. Roland knew what he had to do, it was all part of what's supposed to happen: I help him escape the Cerberus laboratories, I help him find the means to travel through the Omega-4 relay, I give him the Prothean device, he finds my past self and tries to build another time manipulation device. I travel forwards to now and send you this marvellous message. I can't travel any further back than when I when I was born though. And the furious thing is my fate: I know what happens to me. No matter what I do to try and stop it, it is always the same._

_Now that I have some new, very powerful friends I might try something different. At around about the time you get this message, there's going to be trouble. Your friend Shepard…that bitch…she'll get what's coming to her, as will you. And that skull you're keeping as a trophy? It's got a tracking device in it. My new friends know exactly where you are. I know exactly where you are. And I'm going to gain some satisfaction knowing that I was responsible for your death and the death of Commander Shepard. That's what you get when you fuck with me, Garrus. You've unknowingly fulfilled the time loop. Thanks for the help, you dumbass._

_Your friend, Kelias Lalitherax_

Garrus sat for a moment in complete and utter silence. The message was a clear indication that Kelias was not in her right mind. She wanted him dead for his apparent betrayal, even though _she_ had been the one to betray _him_. And now…Now he was in some very deep trouble. All this talk of "time travel" was confusing the hell out of him but that was beside the point. What he needed to do now was ensure the crazy turian bitch did not succeed in her warped plan.

The turian stood up and picked up Roland Halverson's synthetic skull. A tracking device? Where the hell was it? In anger he hurled the skull against the wall and it dented the metal there with a loud _clunk!_ The _Normandy_ was rocked by a violent explosion then and there, one that knocked Garrus to the floor as red alert lights starting pulsating all around. Standing up, Garrus made his way to his wardrobe and removed a suit of his armour. From within the wardrobe he pulled out a pistol and without further delay put two rounds into Roland Halverson's synthetic skull, busting the intricate workings and sending pieces of it flying across the floor. Outside in the corridor he could hear people running and shouting. Hurriedly he got dressed into his armour, just as an explosion blew away part of the wall of his quarters. Fire rushed in and he stumbled through it, his armour soaking up the heat as he made it to the door. All hell had broken loose and it could very well have been his fault. Just when he had thought everything was over…

_No,_ he thought, _It's never over._

**Author's Note:  
**And so that ends that. Overall, I see this story bridging the gap between my other Mass Effect story _Loving the Alien_ and an upcoming one I have planned which, when done, shuld be very long and complicated.  
Anyway, I hpe you enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.


End file.
